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 shall visit your commandant within the fortnight and shall tell him many things. He can wait until then for the information that he desires."

"As you will, Captain Falcon," said Lachlan easily. "So short a delay can be of little moment—though, if you have nothing to tell me, I might have been spared this journey."

He pushed back his chair and arose.

"I think, then," he continued, "that I shall bring my visit to an end. My sloop lies in the River of Stono, and it took my paddlers an hour of steady work to bring me here. With the tide ebbing, 'twill take them longer to return."

"Aye," said Falcon, "and 'twill be well if you get to sea before daylight. Your Spanish sloops, no matter how disguised, still look like Spaniards."

He rose, put on his hat and took a step forward, as though to pass around the table to the door; but midway he halted suddenly. A murmur of voices came from the deck without. Lachlan heard them also, heard them with a sudden thrill which set his heart beating faster.

"My men from below deck," growled Falcon irritably. "They are faithful scoundrels, but I prefer that they shall not see you."

He stood, his head cocked on one side, listening. Next moment a hail rang out from the deck and was answered from the river.

"Strange," muttered Falcon. "The time has passed more quickly than I thought."