den he called the cabin, and Stranleigh went down

he began, "can w

, s

your friend. I want to

ve

es

need an

ely an innocent victim. I learned to-day that such was not the case; in fact, I surmised it before, because when you as

accident; you did s

urse I

ever since we

ou did, and was there a week before you, more or less. My man, Ma

him, sir. It was

hundred yards of where you are sitting. He was up on the hilltop wit

mpelled to

inal action, you must not only refuse, but you are i

, and I didn't know he was there till we were more than a day out. It was me insiste

back to Southampton, giving information to the authorities. But even if such an unlawful action did not arouse your suspicions you must have known perfectly well

es weren't set in

river up which a British steamer may ascend, and so far as that is concerned, you deliberately put them

and I was told by my owners to obey the orders of them tha

out charters and owners. Well, I am the owner o

law to carry out the charter. Till a charter runs out and isn't renewed, owners are helpl

ou were not born yesterday. Now, you are not sailing toward Portugal, you are

on of the ship and cargo for yoursel

exac

you're a pirate, that's what you are. I said so to Frowningshield, and he wouldn't believe me. He thought you wouldn't dare come aboard

ptain," protested Stranle

could

You might possibly hang me from the funnel, or allow me to dangle

fians climb aboard here like real p

a real pirate, and I am goin

able, his naturally florid face still further flushed with wrath. "I'll show you-I'll s

eigh soothingly. "Don't bluster. What's the use o

ll you?" roared the captain

ought that walking the plank was a customary nautical amusement. I seem to have been misled by

s eyes glared, his face grew redder,

ngside with y

at spins along a little

ssed up like naval officers,

o' me.' I'm delighted to have Clark Russell corroborate

in my own cabin, on my own ship. Who the de

Stranleigh

h permeates even the most democratic of his Britannic Majesty's subjects caused an instant collapse of the truculence which had threatened an abrupt conclusio

anleigh!"

r there isn't another Lord Stranleigh, and Wychwood is far from being the most important

questioned the captain, with

old you ther

e you pirating on the high seas? Is

that didn't belong to them seemed to occupy their spare time, and so, what with the rise of manufacturing cities in the midlands, on portions of our pro

he deuce are you medd

. Here is the deed of transfer, and here is the letter I spoke of, written to you by Messrs. Sparling & Bilge, informing you that I am the new owner,

documents with slow

d nobody knows it better than I do, but what abo

d to run it

ship's yours, t

hey were stealing

y were in such a hurry. Wanted to get as much out in the time as they could, and offered me a bonus of five thousand po

their energies on the mining of the ore, a

up the river in spite of us. That's why we didn't put the mines at the mouth of the river. On the high ground west of the camp, Frowning-shield had two men on watch all the time. If they saw

ell his men to inform captain an

n't k

this, in conjunction with the large sums of money promised you, str

have looked mighty queer in Southampton Harbor, and yet they were all right as far as ever I

you were running

teamer nowadays, what with everything cut to pieces by foreign competition. You see, earl, men born to money don't always appreciate what people will do who're trying to pile up a littl

etrate and question the future. He had, for the moment, forgotten the

a few trees, and there's outhouses; splendid spot to raise chickens. Then there's a veranda in front, and an oldish man might sit in an easy-chair smoking his pipe, and see the American liners come sailing past. And my family's living in a rented house on a back street. I've a

whether you make the voyages or not. Indeed, you are not going to make the voyages, as a matter of fact. I don't believe Schwartzbrod ever intended to keep his promise, and I very much doubt if you could collect. Now, I'm an excellent collector, and I think I can persuade Schwartzbrod to plead for the privilege of paying you. You see these city men are much too sharp for simple, honest chaps like you and me. After you had done their work, they would have left you in the lurch if you were caught, or cheated you out of your compensation if

on the captain's face as he found himself th

said, "what do yo

the heavy steps of the ma

roared the captain

ut they're getting uneasy on the yacht, a

r us when we first hailed you, and they probably think you've Mac-kellered me. I rather flatter myself I've made a pun

ht, sir?" shou

ght, th

ver up to you, and if they try any tricks you can fire it o

d acts of piracy! No wonder I get a bad name in marine circles. Everyt

found the captain sitting, staring into vac

f captain on a new steamer called the Wychwood, twice the size of this boat, that is intended for the South American trade. I think she will be ready for you by the time we reach Plymouth, and th

lot of passengers we took out under charge of Frowning-shield, but they herded

of the crew knew w

dy knew what was going on

your present crew with

sir, I

cers,

uld. Offic

outh. Take the mate with you, if you like, or any of the other officers, and take such

to leave the

and mate will take the p

was a study of in

eem quite rig

in a fortnight, or three weeks before the Rajah does. I'd rather you didn't go to Southampton, but if you think you can keep out of sight, I don't mind your running across there, seeing your family, and securing that property. Indeed, if the property is stil

head and wrinkled brow showed tha

e very well known

think. I'm there for a little while, then off o

them marooned there while Schwartzbrod sits safe in London, so I wish no rumor of what has taken place to reach the ears of Schwartzbrod and his syndicate, ther

erica. Well, you know, my lord, meaning no disrespect, your way o

law, which is the harpoon, with old Schwartzbrod, who is the whale, or else adopt his own methods, and play the shark

hat will you do? Att

ain. I don't know what the penalty is, or whether there is a penalty. Perhaps your obedience to orders may allow you to slip through the meshes of the net, and then again perhaps it won't. If it doesn't, then that little cottage on Southampton water, which was yours a moment ago, will never be occupied by

at seemed to come from the very bottom of his hoots. He r

one about to cross the Rubicon, "Lord St

t breeze from Africa had completely died away, and the sea lay around the two ships smooth as a polished mirror. At a word from Stranleigh the captain of the yacht drew her alongside the Rajah, and the engines of both steamers stopped. Cap

use the cases to be swung aboard the Rajah, with sufficient ammunition to massacre our entire naval force, and I'll give you six of my gamekeepers. You can either use the gamekeepers to shoot the crew, or arm the crew and eliminate the gamekeepers. I had intended to take the crew of the Raj

n fling your trunk aboard the lugger, after which it will be good-by till I meet you again at Plymouth." When the exchange was completed the white yacht drew away from the tramp and speedily disappeared to the north like a ghost. Captain Wilkie watched her departure with regret, and was unhappy at his promotion to the unkempt and dirty tramp steamer, with her slouching crew, dressed like scarecrows. The new commander of the yacht felt equally out of place in this trim, scrupulously clean, nickel-plated, bride's-cake of a ship, while the sailors, in their spick-and-span natty uniforms, gave him the impression of being in a nightmare where an uncouth private had been placed in charge of a company of officers. As he was about the same size as Wilkie, the useful Ponderby, at Stranleigh's orders, fitted him out next morning in a gorgeous uniform which added to the beauty of his outward appearance without materially augmenting hi

board go the chicken coops, and there is such a general pandemonium that the voice of command cannot be heard. Crash go the masts, funnels, and what not: we right ourselves, staggering under the mountainous waves, and find ourselves a dismantled hulk next morning, with the cook missing, and no hot rolls for breakfast. Now, in reality we have ha

for his morning paper and a stroll down Piccadilly. When well across the placi

rp, and pull us some news down out of the sky? Aren

ut nothing important. The chancellor of the exchequer is speaking in the House of

the chancellor is still talking, write out what he says. And, by the way, if you get a chance to talk back, you might ask the horizon what races were on to-day, and which horses wo

anleigh went on with his cigar and after-dinner coffee.

e said, and handed Stranle

LLOR EX

f the Bank of England usually amounts to about thirty millions of pounds, which are shown to be inadequate to the needs of our time. On the other hand, the Bank of France rarely allows its reserve to fall below a hundred millions of pounds, with a consequence that the F

paper into a ball in his hand

n revels in that sort of rot! And not a word about the r

by the new Act of Parliament to raise its reserve of gold from thirty millions of pounds to one hundred millions. A world-wide financial disturbance lay ahead which Stranleigh di

s young man's liking for this veteran of the sea had increased, in spite

n," he cried. "Wh

. I expect to be up all night, or

, and you must change your course. Instead of striking straight across f

good,

my mind regarding tha

n, with a catch in his voice, and dis

nk that is the nautical term-alongside your bit of land. As you know, I am anxious t

e to tha

insist on that. We are all free and equal at sea, except the captain, who rules over us. When we reach Southampton water I'll go ashore in the motor boat

is, sir. We've often

ore. Take the yacht to the nearest coaling station, wherever it is, and fill her up with black d

sir; half an hour

run from Ushant

it easy in e

attend to the port formalities, see to the coaling, and be lying off your bit of property by six o'clock next

sea, and the three girls

boat is ready for me at the landing both to-morrow afternoon and all next day. I shall probably want to ru

or leave Southampton without

night ashore. Next morning take the yacht, and navigate her slowly round to Plymouth. There you may give everybody shore leave, but don't overdo it. You understand what I want, which is that no man shall talk about the mine in West Africa or the transfer in midocean, so I expect you to keep your s

one the poorer for their long voyage. He visited the land agent's office, transacted his business within ten minutes, drew his check, and told the manager to have the papers ready by twelve o'c

chin, "are you the gallant captain's daughter,

glance of the eyes could have slain, he would have be

t home?"

demanded the

ther asked me. It's a secret, and

, and fancying something was wrong, appeared in the hall; a stout

I am by way of being a shipowner. Y

he sort. He is capt

and has just bought that little bit of property down the

ir? My husband is hundreds and

I have acted as his agent, and I come merely to tell you of the transaction. The deeds are

turned out a success?

ou remark." Then, turning to the one who had let him in, he said reproachfully: "Please don't sco

thing, but looke

the door at the left, whereupon the girl, wi

er two girls'?" de

in the kit

see the whole family, being so

red, returning shortly with the two younger children shrinking bashfu

It is evident that these girls did not dep

aughtily, "that my father is the

of your father, but you'll never see his picture on a beauty post card. And now, if you're p

rested?" cried t

ling my yacht at this moment somewhere in Southampton

prise at this intelligence, bu

or railway carriage. Missus, you will be chief of the finest burst of shopping Southampton has ever seen. Your husband will land at the cottage at six o'clock tomorrow night. The chances are that the empty house will not be any the worse for a little cleaning, so your elde

ill cost a mint o

tal will be. But here are three hundred pounds to go on with. I got this purposely to-

o pay you, sir?" asked

I am merely arranging this as a pleasant surprise for him, and also b

tossed

arrant you those notes are counterfeit. He wants to get us out of the house, and then

anleigh

You've guessed it the first time. Is the furn

," said the g

Stranleigh of Wychwood cashed at the London and County to-day, at half-past eleven.' If they still wish to know how you came by them, say that Lord Stranleigh is the owner of several steamships, and that your father is captain of the largest of them. Say nothing

tranleigh?" gas

. Mention to nobody that your father has returned. Neither he nor I wish this known for

ong, is there?" ask

rning his new ship, which lies at Plymouth, where

and a half of nervous, capable speed in their lives before, and th

st daughter, and at six Lord Stranleigh had the felicity of introducing the captain to his possessions, human