settle this matter. We'll find out who that man is, and--"

"Oh, no! No, Senorita. Do not trouble. It you should do zat, zis
man would only make matters worse for my poor father. Let him
alone!"

"And have you, and us, worrying all the time on this voyage? Indeed,
I'll not."

This was not Cora's way. She never shrank from doing what she
considered to be her duty. In this case, her duty lay in finding out
whether or not there was a real, or fancied enemy, of Mr. Ralcanto's
aboard.

The man who had caused this little flurry of excitement, had, by this
time, gone down to his stateroom. Other belated passengers were
hurrying aboard, the last consignment of freight was being brought to
the dock, and preparations for leaving were multiplying.

"I might as well wait until I can see him, you can point him out to
me again," said Cora, "and then I'll show him to Mr. Robinson. He
can speak to the captain, and find out who the big man is."

"Very well, Senorita," assented Inez. "But I do not wish to give
annoyance. I have already been such a burden--"

"Nonsense!" Cora cried. "We've undertaken this business of getting
your father out of that political prison, and we're going to do it.
I think we're going to start now."