benignantly. The man raised his eyes to Senor Perkins, and said,--

"Vigilancia."

"Bueno!" returned the Senor gently. "Excuse me, ladies, for a moment."

"Perhaps it is some news of poor Mr. Hurlstone?" said Miss Keene, with
an instinctive girlish movement of hope.

"Who knows?" returned Senor Perkins, waving his hand as he gayly tripped
after his guide. "Let us believe in the best, dear young lady, the
best!"




CHAPTER III.

"VIGILANCIA."


Without exchanging another word with his escort, Senor Perkins followed
him to the main hatch, where they descended and groped their way through
the half obscurity of the lower deck. Here they passed one or two
shadows, that, recognizing the Senor, seemed to draw aside in a half
awed, half suppressed shyness, as of caged animals in the presence of
their trainer. At the fore-hatch they again descended, passing a figure
that appeared to be keeping watch at the foot of the ladder, and almost
instantly came upon a group lit up by the glare of a bull's-eye lantern.
It was composed of the first and second mate, a vicious-looking Peruvian