"Perfectly. In fact, he was enthusiastic about it. Wouldn't even hear of any compensation for the use of the vessel. Said he expected to get his money's worth in the fun he'd have." "He seems to have a sportsmanlike spirit, all right," commented Drew, with a smile. "He surely has," confirmed the captain. "I think you'll like him when you come to know him." "How old is he?" "About your own age I should judge. You're twenty-two, I think I've heard you say? Parmalee is perhaps twenty-three or twenty-four, but not more than that." "Have you got your full crew shipped yet?" Drew inquired, after a pause. "Well, some of them are aboard," was the answer. "We've got two dozen in round numbers, but we still need five or six more men before we get our full quota. Ditty's ashore looking them up now." "Do you think they're going to suit you?" "Oh, I've seen better crews and I've seen worse," answered the captain. "There are some of them whose faces I don't just like, but that's true in every ship's company. I guess they'll average up all right. "There's one thing I want to show you," went on the captain, opening the door of a closet built into the cabin. Drew looked, and was surprised to see as many as a dozen rifles, as well as several revolvers and a sheaf of machetes. "Why, it looks like a small arsenal!" he exclaimed, in surprise. "What on earth will we want all these for? One might think that we expected to have a scrap ourselves with pirates on the Spanish Main." "Not that exactly," said the captain laconically, "but in an enterprise like ours it's wise to take precautions. 'Better to be safe than be sorry.' If it's known that we're after treasure, there may be sundry persons who will take an unwholesome interest in our affairs." "Do you mean members of the crew?" "Not necessarily; though they may. It's not likely, for it's probably nothing but a turtle cay, but there may be people living on the island where we're going who would seriously dispute our right to take anything away and might try to stop us. Few of those small islands are inhabited; still, I'll feel a good deal more comfortable to know that I've got these weapons stowed away where I can get them at a moment's notice. By the way, do you know how to shoot?" "Yes," answered Drew. "I belong to a rifle club, and I'm a fairly good shot with either a pistol or a gun." "A useful accomplishment," commented the captain. "You never know when it may come in handy." Drew was wild to go on deck again to talk with Ruth. He had scarcely exchanged three sentences with her, and there were a thousand things he wanted to say. The time was getting so terribly short! In two days more he would be sailing away with her father, leaving her behind, and months might elapse before he could see her again.