of my eyes made her drop hers.

"Sweet little document!" said McWhirter, looking over my shoulder.
"Sent by some one with a nice disposition. What do the crosses
mark?"

"The location of the bodies when found," I explained--"these three.
This looks like the place where Burns lay unconscious. That one
near the rail I don't know about, nor this by the mainmast."

"We thought they might mark places, clues, perhaps, that had been
overlooked. The whole--the whole document is a taunt, isn't it?
The scaffold, and the axe, and 'not yet'; a piece of bravado!"

"Right you are," said McWhirter admiringly. "A little escape of
glee from somebody who's laughing too soon. One-thirty--it will
soon be the proper hour for something to happen on the Ella, won't
it? If that was sent by some member of the crew--and it looks like
it; they are loose to-day--the quicker we follow it up, the better,
if there's anything to follow."

"We thought if you would go early in the morning, before any of
them make an excuse to go back on board--"

"We will go right away; but, please--don't build too much on this.
It's a good possibility, that's all. Will the watchman let us on
board?"

"We thought of that. Here is a note to him from Marshall, and--
will you do us one more kindness?"