caught her arm, steadying her. But the packet she carried flew from her hand and disappeared beyond the stringpiece of the pier. 

 The girl uttered a little cry of distress. Drew shot a belligerent glance at the one-eyed man. 

 "What do you want?" he demanded, with truculence.  "Isn't the dock broad enough for you to pass without annoying the lady? Get along with you!" 

 The one-eyed man uttered an oath, but moved away, though slowly. Drew turned to the girl again, hat in hand, a smile chasing the frown from his face. 

 

 

 CHAPTER II 

 TYKE GRIMSHAW AND HIS AFFAIRS 

 "I beg your pardon," Drew said, bowing low, "but can I be of any further assistance?" 

 The girl looked up at him a little doubtfully, but what she saw in his frank brown eyes must have reassured her, for she spoke without hesitation. 

 "You are very kind," she answered, "but I fear it is too late. I had some letters in my hand, and when I slipped they went into the water. I'm afraid you can't get them." 

 Mentally resolving to dive for them if such a procedure became necessary, Drew stepped upon the stringpiece of the pier beside her and looked down. 

 She gave a joyous exclamation as she saw the package lying in the bottom of a small boat that floated at the stern of a steamer moored to the pier. 

 "Oh, there they are!" she cried delightedly.  "How lucky!"  Then her face changed.  "But after all it is going to be hard to get them," she added.  "The pier is high and there don't seem to be any cleats here to climb down by." 

 "Easiest thing in the world," returned Drew confidently.  "I'll go aboard the steamer, haul the boat up to the stern, and drop into it." 

 "But the stern is so very high," she said, measuring it with her eye. 

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