"There were fifty or sixty men on board when I saw her at Balboa yesterday. Perhaps more were taken on in the bay last night. I know something about filibustering expeditions. She would carry not less than a hundred men. And of course there are plenty of guns in her. Her speed is slow. She will go eight or nine knots, I think." "Will General Quesada fight?" The colonel asked the question with distinctly cheerful intonation, as if for the moment he was more soldier than engineer. "He may fight for his neck," said Devlin, "and if he has a chance to get away. He knows that he is caught with the goods. But without Captain Brincker, he is a lame duck." "And you are sure that young Goodwin is in serious danger?" "Why not?" and Devlin pounded the desk with his hard fist. "Quesada has motives enough for losing him somewhere." "I agree with you. And, besides, I should like to recover those commissary stores." The colonel gazed at the opposite wall, composed and thoughtful. Devlin eyed him wistfully, afraid that he might consider the case as beyond his jurisdiction. Then with a quick glow of heat, the anger of a strong man righteously provoked, the colonel said sharply: "It is a rotten, abominable performance, clear through. We are wasting time." Summoning a clerk, he told him: "Get Captain Brett, the superintendent at Balboa, on the telephone. Tell him that I wish the biggest, fastest tug of the fleet, the _Dauntless_, if possible, to be coaled and ready for sea in two hours. Please ask him to call me up and report." The colonel hesitated as if a question of authority perplexed him, but when the clerk returned he was ready with another command. "I want to talk with Major Frazier of the marine battalion at Camp Elliot personally. Please connect his house with my desk." Devlin nudged Alfaro. The face of the steam-shovel man lighted with the joy of battle. The colonel was a man with his two feet under him. They heard him say to the commander of the force of United States marines: "It is an emergency detail, Major. I will forward the formal request and explanation to you in writing, but the documents can wait. An officer and a half company of men will be enough. Yes, equipped for active service. Thank you, very much. I will have a special train at your station in an hour from now, ready to take them to Balboa. It is a bit of sea duty. Your men will enjoy it."