your steamer, she--she told me. It started yesterday after I bluffed
off the lion. You see, she--"

"Lion?" ejaculated Lord James.

"Yes." Blake flung up his head in an impatient gesture. "The beast
tried to stalk us. Jumped back into the grass when I circled out at
him. I got the grass fired before he screwed up courage to tackle me.
--Don't cut in!--It was then that Jenny--she--she tried to say
something. But I streaked for home. This morning, though, when I saw
we were safe, I was weak enough to let her--speak out."

Lord James hesitated just perceptibly, and then caught his friend's
big, ill-used hand in a cordial clasp. "So--you're engaged!
Congratulations!"

"If only it was just that!" cried Blake. He flushed red under his
thick coat of tan. "I--I suppose I've got to tell you, Jimmy--I must.
I need your help to carry out my plan."

"Your plan?" repeated the Englishman wonderingly.

"To save her from--from committing herself. It isn't fair to her to
let her do it now. She ought to wait till she gets back home, among
her own people. You see she wants to--She--she says that ship captains
can--" He caught his breath, and bent nearer, but with his face half
averted. His voice sank to an almost inaudible murmur--"that ship
captains can marry people."

"Ah!" gasped Lord James. But he recovered on the instant. "Gad! that