M.
Desplaines, who was in the launch, explained that they had formed
part of the crew of a steamer that had been wrecked down the coast
some weeks previously. They had been waiting for a ship and were
willing to work their passage home: to New York. Among them was
their captain, a good seaman and a former yacht skipper.
"But--but," said Frank amazedly, as the men piled on board and the
boys all shook hands madly with everybody. "We can't take this
yacht--it isn't ours, we have no right."
M. Desplaines held out a piece of paper; smiling as he did so. It
was covered with writing in Luther Barr's cramped hand and was a
characteristic document. Stripped of its legal phraseology it was
an agreement to the effect that if the boys would make no salvage
charges for saving the yacht, they could have her free of cost to
sail back to New York.
"But," said Frank, "how did he know we intended to save her?"
"'The man Davis got boisterously drunk and when arrested admitted
that the yacht was in no danger and that he had flooded her
stoke-hold out of revenge," explained M. Desplaines.
"In that case, why does not Mr. Barr come back to New York on her?"
demanded Frank.
The consular agent smiled.
"He thinks he is on the track of more ivory and has already engaged
part of an expedition," he replied.
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