“Yes—­yes”—­Plinny smiled a cheerful approval—­“we are ever in the Divine Hand; not more really, perhaps, in the tropics than in those more temperate latitudes when, though the wolf and lion do not howl for prey, an incautious step upon a piece of orange-peel has before now proved equally fatal.”

Captain Branscome bowed again.

“You call me the leader of this expedition, Miss Plinlimmon; and so I am, until we drop anchor.  With that, in two or three hours at farthest, my chief responsibility ends, and I think it time”—­he turned to Mr. Rogers—­“that we made ready to appoint my successor.  I shall have a word to say to him.”

“Nonsense, man!” answered Mr. Rogers, looking up from the wheel.  “If you mean me, I decline to act except as your lieutenant.  You have captained us admirably; and if I decline the honour, you will hardly suggest promoting Harry, here, or Goodfellow!”

“I was thinking that Miss Belcher, perhaps—­”

“Hallo!” said Miss Belcher, turning at the sound of her name, and coming aft from the bows, whence she had been studying the coastline.  “What’s the matter with me?”

“The Captain,” exclaimed Mr. Rogers, “has been tendering us his resignation.”

“Why?”

“Mr. Rogers misunderstands me, ma’am,” said Captain Branscome.  “I merely said that, so far as we have agreed as yet, My authority ceases an soon as we cast anchor.  If you choose to re elect me, I shall not say ’No’—­though not coveting the honour; but I can only say ‘Yes’ upon a condition.”

“Name it, please.”

“That I have every one’s implicit obedience.  I may—­nay, I shall—­ give orders that will be irksome and at the same time hard to understand.  I may be unable to give you my reasons for them; or able to give you none beyond the general warning that we are after treasure, and I never yet heard of a treasure-hunt that was child’s-play.”

He spoke quietly, but with an impressiveness not to be mistaken, though we knew no cause for it.  Miss Belcher, at any rate, did not miss it.  She shot him a keen glance, turned for a moment, and seemed to study the shore, then faced about again, and said she—­

“I am not used to be commanded.  But I can command myself, and am not altogether a fool.”

The Captain bowed.  “I was thinking, ma’am, that might be our difficulty.  But if I have your word to try—­”

“You have.”

“I thank you, ma’am, and will own that my mind is relieved.  It may even be that, from time to time, I may do myself the honour of consulting you.  Nevertheless—­”

“I mustn’t count on it, eh?  Well, as you please; only I warn you that, while in any case I am going to be as good as my word, if you treat me like a sensible person I shall probably be a trifle better.”

For ten seconds, maybe, the pair looked one another in the eyes; then the Captain bowed once more, and apparently this invited her to step forward with him to the bows, where they halted and stood conning the coast, the Captain through his spyglass.