lly believes we
told him we'd go."

"We bought his picture out of charity," said Locke. "Mr. Trask here
is a mining man, and was interested in his story, but we haven't
any more idea of going to this gold island than we have of going to
the moon. My daughter and I are leaving the day after to-morrow for
Hong Kong to connect with the Pacific Mail. We were going this
morning, but missed the _Taming_."

"This'll just about kill old man Dinshaw," said Jarrow.

"He's so pathetic," said Marjorie. "I'm sorry if we've done
anything to disappoint him. I'll always feel guilty about it. Just
what did he say, Captain Jarrow?"

"Why, ma'am, he comes runnin' down to the Cuartel not an hour ago,
all excited up about you people. 'Jarrow,' he says to me, 'I've got
a party who'll go to my island if they can git your schooner--and
yours is the only one to be had for love or money. I know you'll
lose on it, seein's you got a new gover'ment hay charter comin'
your way, but can't you strain a p'int for an old friend? If you
don't stand by me, the chance is gone.'

"'Cap'n Dinshaw,' says I to him, 'I'll stand by if I can be any
help, lose money or no. If me and my schooner's what you need, why,
she's lyin' off the breakwater, and I'm your man.' And Peth, my
mate, he speaks up, and says to him: 'Dinny, don't you fret none,
but leave it to Jarrow. He's the man to tie to if ye need help.'

"So we lays a course for up here. When he hears of this, it'll just
about kill him dead, sure. Happened the same way once before, and
he was laid up in the Civil Hospital for a month with brain fever.
He ain't as strong now as he was then, neither. If I had the
capital, I'd go in on my own, but I'm up to my ears in debt, and as
I said, I'd just about split even at sixty-five dollars a day. But
I can't go it alone. The old man he'll just fade away and die, if
you don't mind my puttin' in my oar about it. When he gits these
idees about somebody goin' to his island, and then it falls
through, he moans and moans----"

"Oh, Dad, I wish something could be done!" cried Marjorie. "I'll
never forgive myself if we go away from here and leave that old man
grieving!" She looked at Trask and caught a twinkle in his eye.

"Well, I'll send him back to the States if you feel that way about
it," said Locke.

"He won't go," said Jarrow. "We've all tried to send him home. I
offered to buy his ticket some time back, but he's got this island
on the brain."

"Where i