ON SHORT ALLOWANCE. I7I

consequently, some time must elapse before he could talk
with her privately in the cabin, therefore, he said, with
a careless air, as he arose from the table:

«The weather is fine this morning, and it has been such
a rarity during this voyage that you had better take advan-
tage of it by coming on acs for a promenade with me.
I feel like walking just now.’

She accepted the proposition at once, as a matter of
course, and, a few moments later, was clinging to his arm
as they paced to and fro on the quarter-deck, waiting
until they should be beyond hearing of the helmsman
before broaching the important subject.

«Speak of what you have in your mind only while we
are at this end of the deck, and be talking on some com-
monplace subject when we approach the man at the
wheel,” Ben said. ‘ Now tell me what you have heard ?”’

“Old Eliphalet whispered to me this morning, while he
was preparing the breakfast-table, that last night in the
port watch the Manilamen took two of the sailors over
near the casks, and were evidently explaining to them
the fact that the supply of water was low.”

She was forced to stop a moment as they reached the
helmsman, and then continued :

“ He says there can be no mistake about their purpose,
for at the conclusion of the conversation one of the white
men sounded the empty casks.”

“In that case our secret is a secret no longer, for every
man Jack of them knows it by this time. I ought to
have put those yellow scoundrels in irons without waiting