Part 52 (2/2)

George Fleming stared at the body of his chief which lay so still on the ground with the s.h.i.+ning moon pouring its cold light on the white face.

Then slowly his eyes came up to meet mine.

In another moment he and his brother were cras.h.i.+ng through the lush underbrush to the beach. I judged from the rapidity with which Henry moved that he could not be much hurt. From the opposite direction Smith came running up.

I dropped to my knees beside Yeager and cut the thongs that tied his hands.

”Hurt?” I asked.

”No,” he answered in deep disgust at himself. ”I stumbled over a root and hit my head against this tree right after the game opened. Gallagher and Alderson had to play it out alone. But Bothwell must have had fourteen men with him. He got Gallagher in the leg and rushed Alderson.

You dropped in right handy, Jack.”

”And not a minute too soon. By Jove! we ran it pretty fine this trip.

Badly hurt, Gallagher?”

”No, sir. Hit in the thigh.”

I examined the wound as well as I could and found it not as bad as it might have been.

”A good clean flesh wound. You're in luck, Gallagher. The last two days have more than wiped out your week of mutiny. We're all deep in your debt.”

”Thank you, sir,” he said, flus.h.i.+ng with pleasure.

Here I may put it down that this was the last word Gallagher heard about his lapse from duty. He and the other reconstructed mutineers were forgiven, their fault wiped completely off the slate.

I sent Alderson down to the spit to signal the _Argos_ for a boat. One presently arrived with Stubbs and Higgins at the oars. The little c.o.c.kney was struck with awe at sight of the dead man.

”My heye, Mr. Sedgwick, 'e's got 'is at larst and none too soon. 'Ow did you do it?”

”I didn't do it. One of his friends did.”

”Well, 'e 'ad it comin' to 'im, sir. But I'll sye for him that 'e was a man as well as a devil.”

We helped Gallagher down to the boat and he and I were taken aboard.

The wound in my shoulder was but a scratch.

It was enough, however, to let me in for a share of the honors with Gallagher.

In truth I had done nothing but precipitate by my arrival the final tragedy; but love, they say, is blind.

It was impossible for me to persuade Evelyn that I had not been the hero of the occasion.

She could appreciate the courage of the three men who had chosen death rather than to join Bothwell in his nefarious plans, but she was caught by the melodramatic entry I had made upon the stage.

”You were one against fourteen, but that didn't stop you at all. Of course the others were brave, but----”

<script>