I looked at him out of the corner of a very guarded eye.

"Why?" I lazily inquired. But the search, I noticed, was already under way, and a triumphant if slightly indignant Bud Griswold was enduring it without any loss of standing.

"Because his confederate now has his haul safely tucked away under her shirt-waist,"' answered the man with the crême-de-menthe smile.

I sat there blinking at the blue Atlantic while a little runway of chills went arrowing up and down my spine. For this quiet-eyed stranger knew that I had that stolen jewelry on me, and he had just taken the trouble to let me know that he knew. In one panicky moment I saw myself blue-birded up to headquarters, mugged and measured, and my bright young life turning turtle into the Tombs.

But I didn't intend to give up the ship, without a last gasp or two.

"Do you think she can escape?" I quietly inquired.

He thought this over.

"That all depends on how intelligent she is," was his final response.

"I hope she does," I sighed. "For I think we all like to see a woman get a fighting chance!"