Page:Off For Hawaii.djvu/78

66 duty to warn you against the Spaniard. He is nothing less than a swindler."

"Indeed!" Mr. Palmer grew interested on the spot. "You are certain of this? You know him well?"

"I know him, and so does my friend here, Oliver Raymond. My name is Dan Holbrook, and our fathers belong to the firm of Raymond, Holbrook & Carter, formerly Raymond, Holbrook & Smith, of San Francisco, Hong Kong, Manila, and other cities."

"I know of that firm, Mr. Holbrook."

"This is Mark Carter, the son of Mr. Carter of the same firm," then went on Dan, introducing me.

"And I am John Palmer of San Francisco," laughed the wealthy man. "But you already know my name."

"Señor Delverez is a villain who did his best to swindle our firm out of some land in Manila," continued Dan. "We can easily prove that he is not honest, and we want to warn two fellow Americans to watch him in any dealing you may have."

"He didn't strike me as being just right," was John Palmer's slow reply. "He's too smooth to suit me." He looked at us earnestly. "You look like square chaps, and I reckon I owe you one for this hint."