in which you'll be comfortable, and you can
regard it as your own domain while you're with us. Come this way."

He led us down a short gangway, across a sort of small saloon
evidently used as common-room by himself and his companion, and threw
open the door of a neat though very small cabin.

"Never been used," he said with another smile. "Fitted up by the
previous owner of this craft, and all in order, as you see. Consider
it as your own, Miss Raven, while you're our guest. One of my men
shall see that you've whatever you need in the way of towels, hot
water, and the like. If you'll step in and look round, I'll send him
to you now. As he's a Chinaman, you'll find him as handy as a French
maid. Give him any orders or instructions you like. And then come on
deck again, if you please, and you shall have some tea."

He beckoned me to follow him as Miss Raven walked into her quarters,
and he gave me a reassuring look as we crossed the outer cabin.

"She'll be perfectly safe and secluded in there," he said. "You can
mount guard here if you like, Mr. Middlebrook--in fact, this is the
only place I can offer you for quarters for yourself--I dare say you
can manage to make a night's rest on one of these lounges, with the
help of some rugs and cushions, and we've plenty of both."

"I'm all right, thank you," said I. "Don't trouble about me. My only
concern is about Miss Raven."

"I'll take good care that Miss Raven is safe in everything," he
answered. "As safe as if she were in her uncle's house. So don't
bother your head on that score--I've given my word."

"I don't doubt it," I said. "But as regards her uncle--I want to speak
to you about him."

"A moment," he replied. "Excuse me." We were on deck again, and he
went forward, poked his head into an open hatchway, and gave some
order to an unseen person. A moment later a Chinaman, the same whose
face I had seen as we came aboard, shot out of the hatchway, glided
past me as he crossed the deck with silent tread, and vanished into
the cabin we had just left. Baxter came back to me, pulling out a
cigarette case. "Yes?" he said, offering it. "About Mr. Raven?"

"Mr. Raven," said I, "will be in great anxiety about his niece. She is
the only relative he has, I believe, and he will be extremely anxious
if she does not return this evening. He is a nervous, highly-strung
man--"

He interrupted me with a wave of his cigarette.

"I've thought of all that," he said. "Mr. Raven s