Jonah's Luck by Fergus Hume — Read

Early next morning, Sweetlips Kind was talking to Dr. Browne in the consulting-room of the latter at his Tarhaven house. On tracing the connection of the mysterious word "Tarabacca" with the shawl which had to do with Armour's kidnapping, and which consequently was of a piece with the tragic incident of the "Marsh Inn" crime, the Cheap-jack had postponed his departure. Eager as he was to leave the dangerous neighbourhood of Desleigh, where one and all were on the alert to capture Herries, he thought it well to see what sort of crew manned the yacht referred to by the accused man. Beyond the fact that the oddity of the name had struck him, Herries knew nothing. When the Arctic sealer "Nansen" came to Pierside, the yacht was already berthed by the wharf, and Herries had left his ship so immediately, owing to the persecution of the captain, that he had made no enquiries as to the nationality of the strange vessel.

Nor, had he remained on board the "Nansen," would he have so enquired, since the "Tarabacca" did not interest him in the slightest. Now, however, that the yacht's name was on the shawl, and a letter had apparently been addressed to someone on board by the dead man, the subject became one of vital importance.