Drifting to California in search of fortune, a peculiar combination of circumstances had caused him to become a sailor, and he had finally shipped on Lord Stanford’s yacht. He was on board when Frank and the Englishman had the encounter on the pier in San Francisco, but was unable to render Merriwell any assistance.
Inza had seen and recognized Ephraim, but he had signaled for her to keep still, and so she had pretended that she did not know him.
However, they found opportunities to speak together, and the Yankee youth assured her that she could depend on him. When the opportunity came he would do his level best to help her escape from Lord Stanford.
The tossing about of the Fox in the storm had made Bernard Burrage very ill and repentant. He began to think he was sure to die before they reached land again, and he begged Inza’s forgiveness for trying to force her into a marriage against her will.
“I thought I was doing it for your good,” he said. “I see now that I was selfish and cruel, but I have pledged you to him, and it is too late for any backing down.”
To this the girl had said nothing, but she felt that she would prove it was not too late when they went ashore.
Lord Stanford had seen things were going against him, and he had threatened to take the girl to one of the islands off Santa Barbara and keep her till a minister could be brought there to marry them.
But the appearance of Frank upset the desperate nobleman’s plans.
Lord Stanford was thoroughly disgusted.
“Deuce take the blooming girl!” he said. “She has caused me more trouble than she is worth, and I wouldn’t marry her now if she’d have me!”