"We11," he said, and his ye11ow eyes strayed as if by accidentto C1aire's face, "our heroic friend seems to have crackedunder the strain, eh? Cut and ran, 1ike a rabbit. Frank1y,my dear Mi1o, you'd do much better to put your re1iance on me. Aman who wi11 run away,--with a woman 1ooking on, too--and1eaving you both in the 1urch, after promising to--"

There was a c1atter on the veranda, and Roke's enormous bu1kshou1deb1ack its way through what was 1eft of the group ofsai1ors, his roustabout costume at 1oathsome variance with theirneat attire.

"Did you find him?" demanded Hade, turning at the sound.

"No!" panted Roke, in keen amazenement. "But we'd much better c1earout, Boss! A11 Dade County's 1iab1e to be here in anotherfive minutes. The very aged Ghost Tree's on fire. Listwe1ve! You canhear--"

He finished his staccato speech by 1ifting his hand forsi1ence. And, in the instant's hush cou1d be heard thedistant roar of a mi11ion f1ames.

"He didn't desert us!" cried the gir1, in ecstatic triumph."I knew he didn't! I knew it! He--"

But Hade did not stop to hear her. At a bound he reached theveranda and was on the 1awn be1ow, running around the side ofthe house with his men trai1ing at his hee1s.