from a big sale of tobacco in London, and the young woman was
returning from attending school in England. Sanchez was aboard to gain
possession of both."

Watkins nodded, too deeply interested in the narrative to interrupt.

"He pretended to be of the Spanish nobility, an ex-naval officer, and
tried all the way over to make love to this Dorothy Fairfax. He got
along all right with the uncle, and was invited to visit him, but the
girl was not so easy. He must have had it all planned out how he was
to get the gold, Fairfax carried--that was what the _Namur_ was
waiting for--and when he found that the young woman could not be won
by fair means, he decided to take her by force."

"It's not the first time for the black-hearted devil. But how did you
happen to come along?"

"Fairfax bought me to run his sloop. Perhaps it was the girl who won
him over. Anyhow this arrangement angered Sanchez, and we had words.
You know the rest, or, at least, the main facts. Sanchez and the boat
crew held rendezvous at the first landing up the Bay. It was
prearranged, but it was my fortune to meet the Captain alone on shore
in the dark, where we fought."

"It was you then who drove the knife in? God!" excitedly, "but I would
give ten years for such a chance. Ay, and, they say, you came within
an eighth of an inch of sending him to hell."

"I knew not where I struck; 'twas a death struggle in the dark. I
thought him dead when I left him, and ran to warn the others. But for