ked, seen at close quarters, just what her possessors, of course,
desired her to be taken for--a gentleman's pleasure yacht, the crew of
which had nothing to do but keep her smart and bright. No one stepping
aboard her would have suspected piracy or nefarious doings. And when
we boarded her, there was nobody visible--the Chinaman whom I had seen
looking over the side had disappeared, and from stem to stern there
was not a sign of human life. But as Miss Raven and I stood side by
side, glancing about us with curiosity, a homely-looking grey cat came
rubbing its shoulder against the woodwork and from somewhere forward,
where a wisp of blue smoke escaped from the chimney of the cook's
galley, we caught a whiff of a familiar sort--somebody, somewhere, was
toasting bread or tea-cakes.

We stood idle, like prisoners awaiting orders, while our captors
transferred from the boat to the yawl two biggish, iron-hooped
chests, the wood of which was stained and discoloured with earth and
clay. They were heavy chests, and they used tackle to get them aboard,
setting them down close by where we stood. I looked at them with a
good deal of interest; then, remembering that Miss Raven was fully
conversant with all that Scarterfield had discovered at Blyth, I
touched her elbow, directing her attention to the two bulky objects
before us.

"Those are the chests that disappeared from the bank at Blyth," I
whispered. "Now you understand?"

She gave me a quick, comprehending look.

"Then we are in the hands of Netherfield Baxter?" she murmured. "That
man--there."

"Without a doubt," I answered. "And the thing is--show no fear."

"I'm not a scrap afraid," she answered. "It's exciting! And--he's
rather interesting, isn't he?"

"Gentlemen of his kidney usually are, I believe," I replied. "All the
same, I should much prefer his room to his company."

Baxter just then came over to us, rubbing from his fingers the soil
which had gathered on them from handling the chests. He smiled
politely, with something of the air of a host who wants to apologise
for the only accommodation he can offer.

"Now, Miss Raven," he said, with an accent of almost benevolent
indulgence, "as we shall be obliged to inflict our hospitality upon
you for a day or two--I hope it won't be for longer, for your
sake--let me show you what we can give you in the way of quarters to
yourself. We can't offer you the services of a maid, but there is a
good cabin, well fitted,