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264 true-blue, and a lookin' for his daughter! You forgot your cue, old scout, back to the wings.'"

A fair imitation of his tempestuous hostess, nasal drawl and all, the Captain managed to give, then added:

"But unfortunately I couldn't find an interpreter aboard."

The pipe wouldn't draw just then, so he blew out the stem, lighted it again, then puffed on it diligently.

"She referred to me a little later in the conversation as a 'stout old party.' Now, my girl, I leave it to you. Was that quite truthful?"

"No, Uncle Harve, you're just right for a big strong man."

But the boy broke in:

"We'd better hurry. They're after it, all right."

"Yes, we sail today," returned the skipper. "If you've got any luggage in that palace of yours back there, better stow it aboard."

Here Sally interrupted.

"Give us three days here, Uncle Harve?"

Then the older man looked at her in alarm. He wondered if the island were bewitched. Islands, especially these tropical ones, were like women. Too much beauty was suspicious.

"Are you daft?" he queried. "You've just got Ben back and you want to stay on this God-forsaken place!"

"Uncle Harve, there's treasure here!"

"Treasure! By the blue beard of Old Cap'n Teach—sometimes I think the old sinner was right in reducing the number of petticoats and empty heads in the world."

He turned savagely on poor Dick, who was teaching Don Alfonso to balance a piece of drift-wood on his nose.