“It’s all right.  Consider yourself shipped.  You’re just the man I want; and we’ll get to work at once on your alterations.”

The suggestions were such as could easily be carried out by the master and his crew, and soon all hands were busy.

It had been decided that the yacht would go to sea that night, and our hero was booked for the trip.

Spencer Vance had played his cards well.  He improved every moment in making himself popular with the crew, and late in the afternoon, when all hands went ashore, he was the hero of the gang.  In an offhand manner the detective remarked, as the boat was run on the beach: 

“I’ll see you later, boys; I’m going over for a bit to look after Tom Pearce.”

CHAPTER, XVI.

Spencer Vance had proceeded but a short distance, when he saw the figure of a girl coming across the sand, and his astonishment was great, when, upon a nearer approach, he recognized Renie.

The girl was neatly dressed, and her feet were covered with dainty slippers, while her hair was tastefully arranged.

Our hero had been impressed with the girl’s rare beauty upon beholding her barefooted in her loose gown and unkempt hair; but, as he gazed upon her face when arrayed in neat and well-fitting attire, his admiration was increased.

Renie was indeed a rarely lovely girl—­yes, upon those sands he had come upon one of the most beautiful girls he had ever beheld—­classically beautiful; not pretty, but, as we write it, rarely beautiful, and she had been reared in a fisherman’s cabin.

There was a certain suggestion in the girl’s appearance before him in her best attire, that caused a glow of satisfaction around the detective’s heart.

There was nothing rich nor elegant in her apparel, but she was so exquisitely lovely her beauty could not be hidden by clothing, no matter how plain.  The girl greeted the detective in a frank, open manner, and appeared greatly pleased to meet him.  “I expected you to return to the cabin,” she said.

“No; I spent the evening with the crew.”

“You did not go in the yacht?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Oh, why do you take such risks?”

“Never mind about the risk; how is your father?”

“He appears to be all right.  He is up and around.”

“What does he say about the assault?”

“He has said nothing since last night.”

“Has he expressed any determination as to his course?”

“No.”

“Well, you must be on your guard, and when I return from my trip, I will have a proposition to make.”

“When you return from your trip?”

“Yes.”

“Where are you going?”

“I am going off in the yacht.”

“This must not be.  No, no, you must not go off in the yacht, it will be certain death!”

“I have spent the night with the crew of the ‘Nancy,’ and they all think me a splendid fellow, and none of them has the least suspicion of my real identity.”