Part 6 (1/2)
”Why, no,” he said slowly ”Why do you think that?”
”Oh, nothing,” I replied ”I thought his narrow escape of thewould have made him careful”
It was a few hours after this conversation that I hadto Edith Herndon since the irl poked her head out of the companionway, and I hastened to assist her out on deck It was her first sight of the daave a cry of alare that cracked in the wind like the whips of invisible devils
”Oh, Mr Verslun, we are a wreck!” she cried
”Not quite,” I said, gripping her arm to steady her as _The Waif_ took a header ”We've weathered the worst of it and we're still sound The storm centre has slipped away to the north, and we can count ourselves out of the ruction for the present”
Her shapely hand clutched ed fro the beauty of the hand that I had no eye for the sallow face that peeped from the companion Leith's bass voice rose above the noise of the waves, and there was an angry note in it
”This isn't a nice place for you, Miss Edith!” he cried
The girl half turned her head, looked at him for a second, then without any intiain toward e we had sustained I thought that the white, shapely hand tightened its grip uponto our ears, and I blessed the big brute's interference for the thrill which I derived froreasy coat
But Leith was not to be denied The cold stare, instead of driving him back into the cabin, only roused his te deck to the point where ere standing, and, clutching a rope, he swayed backward and forward immediately behind us
”Miss Edith!” he called
The girl turned her head sharply ”Well?” she cried
”This isn't a proper place for you!” roared Leith ”One of those seas is liable to coht be washed away before any one could assist you”
Edith Herndon's lips showed the slightest trace of a smile ”You had better be careful too, Mr Leith,” she retorted ”Mr Verslun is holding on to ray rollers should make a sudden leap, but you have no one to hold on to you”
A frown passed over Leith's face like a cloud shadow across a yellow plain He slackened his grip on the rope and lurched toward us
”You irl ”Your father is too ill to look after you at this er here, and I order you below!”
He touched her shoulder with his big fingers that reseirl rip
”Do not touch me!” she cried fiercely ”How dare you put your hand on me!”
But Leith's teh for anything He irl's hand, and I thrust my shoulder forward to bump him off _The Waif_ nearly stood on her end at that instant, and her acrobatic feat co Leith off his feet and sent hiave a little cry of alar for the colance at the brute on the wet planks Leith picked hiripped a loose backstay with his left hand and swung hiht hand when he ca distance
The blow landed on my shoulder, and I returned the co rope and sent hiainst the rail The fall stunned him for a few moments and he rolled about in the wash; then Soalley door and dragged him to his feet The native steered hi at ht or beat a retreat, but the wild plunging of the yacht convinced hie, so he stu to the rigging, his boyish face wearing an expression of extre wise,” he cried, as he scrambled toward me; ”but don't think you've walloped him He'll co you up”
[Illustration]