I need not dwell on the little incidents of life on ship.  It must have been the second day out that I observed Leontine and Sydney together on the promenade-deck.  They seemed to be quite interested in each other, though I felt sure that Leontine was making a play for him.  At any rate, Burleigh was jealous.  Whatever might be the scheme, it was apparent that the young Englishman was head over heels in love with her.

What did it mean?  Was she playing with Sydney, seeking to secure his influence to further her schemes?  Or did it mask some deeper, more sinister motive?  From what I had seen of Sydney, I could not think that he was the man to take such an affair seriously.  I felt that he must be merely amusing himself.

Busy with my speculations, I was astonished soon after to realize that the triangle had become a hexagon, so to speak.  Whitson and Nanette Erickson seemed to be much in each other’s company.  But, unlike Burleigh, Erickson seemed to be either oblivious or complacent.

Whatever it might all portend, I found that it did not worry Kennedy, although he observed closely.  Burke, however, was considerably excited and even went so far as to speak to Sydney, over whom he felt a sort of guardianship.  Sydney turned the matter off lightly.  As for me, I determined to watch both of these women closely.

Kennedy spent much time not only in watching the passengers, but in going about the ship, talking to the captain and crew and every one who knew anything about the islands.  In fact, he collected enough information in a few days to have satisfied any ordinary tourist for weeks.

Even the cargo did not escape his attention, and I found that he was especially interested in the rather heavy shipments of agricultural implements that were consigned to various planters in the islands.  So great was his interest that I began to suspect that it had some bearing on the gun-running plot that had been hinted at by Marlowe.

It was the evening after one of Kennedy’s busy days scouting about that he quietly summoned both Burke and Sydney to our cabin.

“There’s something queer going on,” announced Craig, when he was sure that we were all together without having been observed.  “Frankly, I must confess that I don’t understand it—­yet.”

“You needn’t worry about me,” interrupted Sydney, hastily.  “I can take care of myself.”

Kennedy smiled quietly.  We knew what Sydney meant.  He seemed to resent Burke’s solicitude over his acquaintance with Leontine and was evidently warning us off.  Kennedy, however, avoided the subject.

“I may as well tell you,” he resumed, “that I was quite as much influenced by a rumor that arms were somehow getting into Mexican ports as I was by your appeal, Burke, in coming down here.  So far I’ve found nothing that proves my case.  But, as I said, there is something under the surface which I don’t understand.  We have all got to stick together, trust no one but ourselves, and, above all, keep our eyes open.”