"'That's just it. How you goin' to buck that hand? Them's the best
cards in the deck. There's a man comin' by the name of McNamara.
Watch him clost. I can't tell you no more. But don't never let 'em
get a grip on your ground.' That's all he'd say."

"Bah! He's crazy! I wish somebody would try to jump the Midas;
we'd enjoy the exercise."

The siren of the Santa Maria interrupted, its hoarse warning
throbbing up the mountain.

"We'll have to get aboard," said Dextry.

"Sh-h! What's that?" the other whispered.

At first the only sound they heard was a stir from the deck of the
steamer. Then from the water below them came the rattle of
rowlocks and a voice cautiously muffled.

"Stop! Stop there!"

A skiff burst from the darkness, grounding on the beach beneath. A
figure scrambled out and up the ladder leading to the wharf.
Immediately a second boat, plainly in pursuit of the first one,
struck on the beach behind it.

As the escaping figure mounted to their level the watchers
perceived with amazement that it was a young woman. Breath sobbed
from her lungs, and, stumbling, she would have fallen but for