between meals. See
you've been buyin' some of the old cap'n's pictures. He's a oddity,
but there's gold on that island of his, right enough."

"Think so?" asked Trask.

"Know so. Scads of it. He brung back samples in his pockets. I've
told him time and time again I'd go to his island, and what's more,
I would ha', only I don't own all my schooner. It's been busy up to
now with gover'ment work--hay for the cavalry posts down south. But
now I'm ready, and if I can arrange a charter, I'll cut the rate to
the bone, just to help Dinshaw--say sixty-five a day, gold." He
looked at Locke inquiringly.

"I don't know much about such things," said Locke, vaguely.

"Well, a hundred a day is the usual rate," went on Jarrow, "but
I'll make it special just to help the old man."

"I hope you're well repaid," said Locke. "If there is gold----"

"Gold!" exclaimed Jarrow. "Mr. Locke, ye're in on a good thing, if
you'll let me say a word about it."

"I'm a little bit mixed up on this thing," said Locke, with an
amused smile at Trask. "You know more about the proposition than I
do, captain. Of course, Captain Dinshaw talked with Mr. Trask----"

"I hope I ain't put my foot in anything," broke in Jarrow. "I
thought from what Dinshaw said Mr. Trask here knew all about it."

"Mr. Trask knows as much about it as I do, and more," said Locke.
"Say whatever you like."

"Then it's all right," said Jarrow, obviously relieved. "'Tain't a
piece of business I'd want to tell Tom, Dick, and Harry, if I had
the weather on it like you have. I'm above board in my dealin's.
You ask anybody in Manila about Captain Jarrow, the wrecker. But I
thought for a minute I'd let the cat out of the bag."

"No damage done," said Locke. "As I understand it, you intend to go
to this island of Dinshaw's."

"We're so glad to hear it, Captain Jarrow," said Marjorie. "It will
surely make the old man happy."

"Thank ye, ma'am. I want to kind o' apologize for jammin' myself in
like this, but I'm a frank man."

Jarrow paused, and throwing one foot over a knee, stroked the seams
of his new French shoes with the tips of his fingers.

"Of course," he resumed, "Captain Dinshaw and me, we're thick as
three in a bed. Ask anybody in Manila if I ain't been doin' my best
to go to his island. I've offered to take him to his island, time
and time again, but he wouldn't hear it, 'cause he knew I was
makin' money with the _Nuestra_--that's my schooner, the _Nuestra
Senora d