over," Ruth
said demurely. "I expect you men will be frightfully bored with one
lone woman hovering around all the time."

Drew's eyes were eloquent with denial.

"Impossible!" he said emphatically. Then he became conscious that Tyke
was looking on with some curiosity.

"Oh, I forgot," he said. "Mr. Grimshaw, this is Miss Hamilton, Captain
Hamilton's daughter. Miss Hamilton, this is Captain Grimshaw."

Ruth held out her hand, but Tyke deliberately drew her to him and
kissed her on the cheek. She extricated herself blushingly.

"An old man's privilege, my dear," said Tyke placidly. "An' I've known
your father going on thirty years."

Drew wished that it were a young man's privilege as well.

"So you're Rufus Hamilton's daughter," went on Tyke. "My, my! An'
pooty as a picture, too."

Ruth flushed a little at so open a compliment, but smiled at Grimshaw
and said brightly:

"I'm so glad you can come with us. I was dreadfully sorry to hear of
your accident. It would have been horrid for you to stay cooped up in
that old hospital. Father has told me how much you had counted on the
trip."

"The old craft isn't a derelict jest yet," replied Tyke complacently.
"I'm afraid I'll be something of a nuisance till I get steady on my
pins again, but I'll try not to be too much in the way."

"We'll all be glad to wait on you, I'm sure," protested Ruth, with
another smile that won Grimshaw completely.

"I'll go down now and see how Wah Lee is getting along with breakfast,"
the girl continued. "I've no doubt you folks will be hungry enough to
do justice to it."

"This air would give an appetite to a mummy," declared Drew.

"I'm some sharp set myself," admitted Tyke, as the fragrance of
steaming coffee was wafted to him from the cook's galley. "Jest the
very thought of eating in a ship's cabin again makes me hungry."

Drew's eyes followed the girl as she disappeared down the companionway,
and when he looked up it was to find Tyke regarding him amusedly.

"So that's the way the wind blows, is it?" the old man chuckled.

"Nonsense!" disclaimed Drew, although conscious that his tone did not
carry conviction. "She's a very nice girl, but this is only the second
time I've met her." To avoid further prodding, he added: "I'll go down
to your room and see if that Jap has put things shipshape for you."

As he went to the room reserved for Grimshaw, he met Ruth just coming
out of it. Her skirts brushed against