titillation of their bored and inactive nerves.

"I believe the Senor is right, Miss Keene," said Brace, taking her
aside, "and I'll tell you why." He stopped, looked around him, and went
on in a lower voice, "There are some circumstances about the affair
which look more like deliberation than an accident. He has left nothing
behind him of any value or that gives any clue. If it was a suicide he
would have left some letter behind for somebody--people always do, you
know, at such times--and he would have chosen the open sea. It seems
more probable that he threw himself overboard with the intention of
reaching the shore."

"But why should he want to leave the ship?" echoed the young girl
simply.

"Perhaps he found out that we were NOT going to Mazatlan, and this was
his only chance; it must have happened just as the ship went about and
stood off from shore again."

"But I don't understand," continued Miss Keene, with a pretty knitting
of her brows, "why he should be so dreadfully anxious to get ashore
now."

The young fellow looked at her with the superior smile of youthful
sagacity.

"Suppose he had particular reasons for not going to San Francisco, where
our laws could reach him! Suppose he had committed some offense! Suppose
he was afraid of being questioned or recognized!"