Produced by Steven desJardins and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net [Illustration: It looked as if the Mulatto knew this. _Page 82_ _Wyndhams Pal._] WYNDHAM'S PAL BY HAROLD BINDLOSS AUTHOR OF "_The Buccaneer Farmer_," "_The Girl from Keller's_," "_Brandon of the Engineers_," _etc._ [Illustration] WITH FRONTISPIECE A. L. BURT COMPANY Publishers New York Published by arrangement with Frederick A. Stokes Company COPYRIGHT, 1919, BY FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND UNDER THE TITLE "WYNDHAM'S PARTNER" ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PRINTED IN U. S. A. CONTENTS PART I--THE LURE OF AMBITION CHAPTER PAGE I THE COMMODORE'S CUP 3 II MOONLIGHT AND GLAMOUR 14 III CHISHOLM'S PERSUASION 26 IV THE MAN WHO VANISHED 35 V THE TORNADO 45 VI THE MIDDLE PASSAGE 54 VII THE TOW 64 VIII THE LAGOON 74 IX DON FELIX'S REVOLT 85 X MARSTON USES HIS POWER 97 XI MARSTON GOES TO SEA 107 PART II--WYNDHAM CLAIMS HIS REWARD I MABEL PONDERS 121 II MABEL'S PEARLS 131 III PETERS' OFFER 142 IV THE LOST EXPLORERS 152 V WYNDHAM CHANGES HIS PLAN 161 VI PETERS RENEWS HIS OFFER 171 VII WYNDHAM PLEADS GUILTY 180 VIII UP HILL 190 PART III--REPARATION I WYNDHAM PAYS DUTY 203 II MARSTON GETS A WARNING 213 III WYNDHAM TRIES PERSUASION 223 IV WYNDHAM FINDS A CLEW 232 V DON LUIS' BREAKFAST PARTY 242 VI A SAIL IN THE DARK 251 VII THE TUG 260 VIII AT THE MISSION 271 IX _Columbine_ STEALS AWAY 280 X THE BAT OWNS DEFEAT 288 XI THE BAT'S EXIT 299 XII THE FRESH START 308 WYNDHAM'S PAL PART I THE LURE OF AMBITION CHAPTER I THE COMMODORE'S CUP The breeze had dropped as the tide ebbed, and _Red Rose_ plunged languidly across the shining swell. Faint mist obscured the horizon and the yachts engaged in the fifty-mile race had vanished, although Wyndham thought he had not long since distinguished a sail in the distance. He was curious about this because if he had seen canvas it was _Deva_'s, and her skipper had probably seen _Red Rose_. The rest of the fleet was scattered about to the north. Wyndham had noted their positions carefully before the haze rolled up. He wanted to win and meant to leave nothing to chance.