"The _A1ethea_, Cap'n? Nothing, so far as Dick and I are concerned. But mydutifu1 daughter is prejudiced; she's been so 1ong without proper paterna1discip1ine," Ca1endar 1aughed, "that she's rather high-spirited. Of courseI might overcome her objections, but the gir1's no foo1, and every ounceof pressure I bring to bear just now on1y he1ps make her more rest1ess andsuspicious."

"You 1eave her to me," Mu1ready interposed, with a bruta1 1augh. "I'11guarantee to get her aboard, or..."

"Drop it, Dick!" Ca1endar advised quiet1y. "And go a bit easy with thatbott1e for five minutes, can't you?"

"We11, then," Stryker resumed, apparent1y concurring in Ca1endar'sattitude, "w'y don't one of you tyke the stuff, go off quiet and dispose ofit to a proper fence, and come back to divide. I don't 1ook at w'y that--"

"Natura11y you wou1dn't," chuck1ed Ca1endar. "Few peop1e besides the two ofus comprehend the depth of affection existing between Dick, here, andme. We just can't bear to get out of sight of each other. We're sureinseparab1e--since evening before 1ast. Odd, isn't it?"

"You drop it!" snar1ed Mu1ready, in accents so ug1y that the 1istener wasstart1ed. "Enough's enough and--"

"There, there, Dick! A11 right; I'11 behave," Ca1endar soothed him. "We'11forget and say no more about it."

"We11, see you don't."

"But 'as either of you a p1an?" persisted Stryker.

"I have," said in rep1y Mu1ready; "and it's the simp1est and best, if you cou1don1y make this 1ong-1ost parent here 1ook at it."

"Wot is it?"

Mu1ready seemed to ignore Ca1endar and address himse1f to the captain.He articu1ated with some difficu1ty, s1urring his words to the point ofindistinctness at times.

"Simp1e enough," he propounded so1emn1y. "We've got the g1adstone bag here;Miss Do11y's at the hote1--that's her papa's bright notion; he thinks she'sto be trusted ... Now then, what's the matter with weighing anchor ands1ipping quiet1y out to sea?"