he might get on
the expedition would turn to ashes if he could not lay it at her feet.

So, tossed about by a sea of alternate hopes and fears, the days went
by until but forty-eight hours remained before the time agreed upon for
sailing.

On Tuesday, Allen had occasion to confer with Captain Hamilton. Up to
now, their meetings, when it had been necessary to see each other on
business connected with the trip, had been in the South Street office.
And, what with the multiplied demands on his time and his daily calls
on Tyke at the hospital, Drew had not yet visited the _Bertha
Hamilton_. He had planned to do so more than once, but had found it
out of the question. He told himself that he would have ample time to
get acquainted with the schooner from stem to stern when they had left
New York behind them and were heading for the island in the Caribbean.

But to-day the conference was to be aboard the _Bertha Hamilton_. Drew
was forced to confess, on reaching the pier at which the schooner was
moored and on catching his first glimpse of her, that the captain was
justified in his enthusiasm. She was indeed a beauty. With her long,
graceful, gently curving lines, she seemed more like a yacht than a
merchant vessel. She was schooner rigged, and, although of course the
sails were furled, the height of her masts indicated great
sail-carrying capacity. Everything about her suggested grace and
speed, and Drew did not doubt that she could show her heels to almost
any sailing craft in the port.

As his appreciative eyes swept the vessel throughout its entire length
from stern rail to bowsprit, his admiration grew. He was glad that
such a craft was to carry the hopes and fortunes of the treasure
hunters. She seemed to promise success in advance.

He went over the plank and turned to go aft in search of the captain.
Then he stopped suddenly. His heart seemed to cease beating for an
instant. He found himself looking into the hazel eyes of the girl of
whom he had been dreaming day and night since he had first seen her
down on the East River docks!

CHAPTER XI

A DREAM REALIZED

For a moment Drew almost doubted his own eyesight. But there was no
mistake. There could be only one girl like her in the world, he told
himself. She was wearing a simple white dress and her head was bare.
The bright sunshine rioted in her golden hair, and her eyes were
luminous and soft. A wave of color mounted to her forehead as s