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    â€œDeeply regret loss of San José. Cannot explain yet. Wire exact state of tide at time of foundering.
    Echegaray.”
    â€œThe old one knows something,” said Olazábal. “But, caray! What matters the state of the tide when the San José had five hundred fathoms of water under her keel? Hola, Señor Candelas!”
    â€œWhat is it?” asked Pablo, looking up from a deep conference with Hal and Father Juan.
    â€œEchegaray wants to know the state of the tide at three this morning. About the top of the spring, wasn’t it?”
    â€œHalf an hour after the turn.”
    Olazábal wrote out a reply, and sent it “urgent.”
    â€œWho’s Echegaray?” asked Father Juan.
    â€œA shipwright,” said Olazábal simply, “and a Basque. His family have built boats ever since there was anyone to sail them”
    â€œCarajo! The coldness of these Basques!” exclaimedPablo. “That’s all he can find to say of the Echegarays, when everyone knows that the first of the family married a woman of the sea people, and that the toes of every eldest son are webbed like a duck’s. On one night of the year a porpoise swims into Bilbao harbour—”
    â€œVaya —what a porpoise!” interrupted the captain. “He must swim in fuel oil and feed on boiler plate!”
    â€œA porpoise swims into Bilbao harbour,” Pablo continued, repeating a tale his grandmother had told him of the Echegarays, and adding to it freely from his own rich imagination, “and takes the eldest Echegaray on his back. And the Echegaray visits all the ships with Basques aboard them and chases the flying fish so that they jump out of the water into the pot in the cook’s galley. And he visits all the ports where there are Basques in gaol— yes, caballeros, all the ports in the world!—and brings them water from the Bidasoa to cool their heads. He even went to Coney Island, and mistaking Captain Olazábal for a hogshead of wine, he drank him, and thus carried him back to Bilbao in safety!”
    â€œAnd the porpoise?” roared Olazábal. “The porpoise, barbarian?”
    â€œAs the song says,” replied Pablo, “the best horse cannot carry two riders. The porpoise bought the Harbour Café and stayed ashore from that day on.”
    They all laughed, even Lola who was listening at the quayside. Pablo meant them to laugh. There was work to be done, and he did not want them to set about itdespairingly. Dick’s fate must be discovered, and the loss of the San José explained.
    â€œHal, why don’t you go and see Echegaray?” suggested Lola, who didn’t believe in the porpoise, but wasn’t at all sure about the webbed feet. “He might be able to find Ricardito.”
    â€œI’m afraid there isn’t much hope, little one,” said Hal.
    â€œHe isn’t dead,” Lola cried. “I know it. I’m quite sure. I feel he needs us awfully badly—and I couldn’t feel that if he were dead.”
    â€œOut of the mouths of babes and sucklings cometh wisdom,” quoted Father Juan. “My son, I don’t want to give you any hope when all my reason tells me there can be none, but I’d go and see Echegaray if I were you. Captain Olazábal wants to speak to him, I know, and you can go together. Be sure that meanwhile we’ll keep up the search for Dick night and day.”
    â€œ Echegaray can’t do anything for Dick,” said Hal hopelessly, “ but if I can help the Captain to solve his problem, lord knows I’m at his service.”
    â€œThen off with you!” said Father Juan cheerfully.
    â€œIn the Erreguiña?” asked Hal.
    â€œNaturally, Señor Garland,” answered Olazábal.
    â€œNot on your life!” Hal exclaimed. “It would take us three days to get there and back. Why don’t we call Echegaray on the telephone?”
    â€œHe