he three
sitting below him: "I come on this trip lookin' to make a piece o'
money. I figured there'd be a couple of weeks here at the
least--you'd go lookin' for gold, an' maybe find it, an' I'd git a
look-in. Now ye want to skip out for Manila again. Where do I git
off?"

Trask sprang to his feet, his face scarlet with rage.

"You sit down, young feller," said Jarrow, holding up a hand for
attention. "Don't go off half-cocked."

"What's the meaning of this?" demanded Locke. His back was to
Jarrow, and he did not get up.

Trask stood glaring at Jarrow with trembling lips and set jaw. The
captain pushed his cap back on his head and puffed a couple of
times at his cigar before he spoke.

"I mean you can't git out of here, wind or no wind, without me.
And what's more, ye won't go when I do but ye'll pay me for my
time, and I'll make it fair enough."

"You're in with Peth!" exclaimed Trask, and made a move toward his
pistol pocket.

"I'm in with Peth," admitted Jarrow. "He didn't work it just the
way I wanted, but now it's come to a show down. This schooner is
for sale for twenty thousand dollars. I guess that's fair enough,
seein' the jam ye're in, and the young lady along."

"I've half a mind to take a shot at you," said Trask.

"Go ahead and shoot," said Jarrow. "That's my chance. I'll risk it.
But you've got to handle the rest of the crew before mornin', don't
forgit that."

"Twenty thousand dollars," said Locke, musingly, and looked at
Marjorie, who stared at Jarrow as if she could not believe her
ears.

"My price," said Jarrow. "I thought I'd say somethin' about it
before the boys come out. They'll be makin' along out this way in a
few minutes. It'll save messin' things up to reach a bargain before
they come."

"The first man that tries to come aboard----" began Trask.

"You can't kill 'em all," said Jarrow, grinning. "Oh, it's cheap at
the price. You'll find it a lot more comfortable to see this thing
the way it lays. You shoot me, and it's all off with ye. The
boys'll just have to boat off down the coast and say ye was lost
with the schooner. That's easy enough."

"You're a murderin' scoundrel," said Locke, quietly.

"I'm out for the coin," said Jarrow. "Work with me, and it'll be
all right."

"Sit down, Mr. Trask," said Locke. "We might as well go about this
in a business way."

"Now ye're talkin'," said Jarrow.

"What's your proposition?" asked Locke. "Tom! Bring me my
cigar-case."

"