ng chair and watched the other man
with coldly critical eyes.

"Ah'm glad teh hear it, suh," replied the other in a soft southern
drawl.

The two men were sitting in the inner sanctum of Attorney Reynolds'
office. Unobserved, there was lying in a half opened drawer of the desk,
and within easy reach of his hand a fully loaded revolver. There were
but few of his clients that the lawyer received with the drawer closed.

"Ah, what is it like?" the captain went on, after a short pause,
shifting his position to a more easy one.

The captain was tall and slender, with a habitual slowness of movement
that could be changed on occasion to a tiger-like celerity. His face was
thin, with sharply cut features, and dusky brown in color. His eyes were
black and deeply set beneath heavy black eyebrows, and a long, sweeping,
black moustache hid a thin straight-lipped mouth.

"Do you know the Marjorie?" went on the lawyer.

"Ah regret ah have not the pleasure of the lady's acquaintance," drawled
the captain.

"Formerly the Mercury, of nowhere in particular," added the lawyer.

The other man started up with a sudden interest.

"What about her?" he asked.

"I asked if you knew her," the lawyer went on.

"Ah reckon ah do," replied the captain with a sigh. "Ah never sailed a
better boat, suh!"

"How would you like to sail her again?"

The captain started up eagerly, and then sank back again. "Ah reckon
there's no such luck for me."

"There may be," returned the lawyer, with emphasis on the may.

"What is it?" demanded the other quickly.

"I have a bit of work I want done," said the lawyer slowly. "If you do
it and do it right, the command of the Marjorie is yours."

"Ah'm yoh man," answered the captain. "What is it?"

"Nothing very difficult. Do you know the Senor de Cordova?"

"No. Never heard of him. Who is he?"

"A very wealthy Mexican, the owner of a big sugar plantation in Cuba."

"Ah see. Yoh want me to capture him and hold him foh ransom?"

"You are half right," replied the lawyer. "Listen. Five days ago, his
daughter, the Senorita Marie, was captured by Bill Broome. Within the
next two or three days she will be surrendered upon the payment of five
thousand dollars."

"And Ah'm to crap the five thousand?"

"No, wait. The money is to be paid over at Mendola."

"Ah know the place, on San Matteo Bay."

"That's it. Now, I want you to pick up the Senor and his daughter and
take them on board the Marjorie--"