Part 7 (2/2)
Theriere leaned over the open hatch, in full view of the waiting Byrne, ready below There was the instant report of a firearm and a bullet whizzed close past Theriere's head
”Avast there, Byrne!” he shouted ”It's I, Theriere Don't shoot again, I want to speak to you”
”No rowled the ain”
”I want to talk with you, Byrne,” said Theriere in a low tone ”I' down there”
”No you ain't, cul,” returned Byrne; ”leastways yeh ain't a-comin' down here alive”
”Yes I am, Byrne,” replied Theriere, ”and you don't want to be foolish about it I'un until you have satisfied yourself as to that I'm the only man on the shi+p that can save your life--the only ot to talk it over and we can't talk this here there's a chance of being overheard I'll be on the square with you if you ith ain and you won't be any worse off than you are now Here I co for an acceptance of his proposition the second officer of the Halfe of the hatchway and disappeared froht of the watchers above
That he was a brave man even Billy Byrne had to ad of the relations existing between the second ht that his courage was little short of marvelous Theriere's stock went up by leaps and bounds in the estih they were they could understand and appreciate physical courage of this sort, while to Barbara Harding the ard of the consequences of life and death to himself that it entailed She suddenly was sorry that she had entertained any suspicions against Theriere--so brave a ued
Once below Theriere found himself covered by his own revolver in the hands of a very desperate and a very unprincipled man He smiled at Byrne as the latter eyed him suspiciously
”See here, Byrne,” said Theriere ”It would be foolish forthis for love of you The fact is that I need you We cannot succeed, either one of us, alone I think you made a fool play when you hitwas that I was to be even a little rougher with you than usual, in order to avoid suspicion being attached to any see together I had the chance to bawl you out today, and I thought that you would understand that I was but taking advantage of the opportunity which it afforded toother than hatred between us--it ht have come in pretty handy later to have her believe that
”If I'd had any idea that you really intended hitting me you'd have been a dead man before your fist reached me, Byrne You took me entirely by surprise; but that's all in the past--I'ones, and help you out of the pretty pickle you've got yourself into
Then we can go ahead with our work as though nothing had happened What do you say?”
”I didn't know yeh was kiddin,” replied the mucker, ”or I wouldn't have hit yeh Yeh acted like yeh meant it”
”Very well, that part's understood,” said Theriere ”Noill you co with the skipper so's you won't get ive you soet your food regularly and that you won't be beaten up the way you were before when he had you below If he won't agree to what I propose I give you my word to tell you so”
”Go ahead,” said Billy Byrne; ”I don't trust nobody wen I don't have to; but I'll be dinged if I see any other way out of it”
Theriere returned to the deck and seeking out the skipper drew hiet hiet a day or so in the cooler, with full rations and no beatings I think, sir, that that will be the easiest way out of it We cannot spare a et the fellow later we can always find some pretext”
”Very well, Mr Theriere,” replied the skipper, ”I'll leave the matter entirely in your hands--you can do what you ith the fellow; it's you as had your face punched”
Theriere returned ied with the erstwhile recalcitrant Byrne, and for two days the latter languished in durance vile, and that was the end of the episode, though its effects wereit implanted in the heart of Theriere a personal hatred for thehier needed him was due purely to a matter of policy, it was now reinforced by a keen desire for personal revenge The occurrence had also had its influence upon Barbara Harding, in that it had shown her Mr Theriere in a new light--one that reflected credit upon hinanimous treatment of the sailor little short of heroic; and it had deepened the girl's horror of Billy Byrne until it now amounted to little short of an obsession So vivid an impression had his brutalitythat she was menaced by hi his iirl upon deck He noticed that she shrank froust and terror; but what surprised him was that instead of the thrill of pride which he forhness, for Billy prided hiainst the girl for her attitude, so that he came to hate her even more than he had before hated Fors she stood for, now he hated her for herself
Theriere was often with her now, and, less frequently, Divine; for at the second officer's suggestion Barbara had not acquainted that gentleman with the fact that she are of his duplicity
”It is just as well not to let hie that would be wanting should he suspect the truth, so that now you are always in a position to be warned in plenty of tiestion he may make Keep me posted as to all he tells you of his plans, and in this e can defeat hih you followed your natural inclinations and refused to hold coht be well, Miss Harding, even to encourage him in the hope that you ed him voluntarily I think that that would throw hiuard, and pave the way for your early release”
”Oh, I doubt if I could do that, Mr Theriere,” exclaiine how I loathe the man now that I know him in his true colors For years he has ih I never cared for him in that way at all, and never could, I felt that he was a very good friend and that his constancy demanded some return on my part--my friendshi+p and sympathy at least; but now I shi+ver whenever he is near me, just as I would were I to find a snake coiled close beside reed Theriere glibly ”The h for policy's sake I hope that you will find it possible to lead him on until his very treachery proves the means of your salvation, for believe me, if he has been false to you how much more quickly will he be false to Simms and Ward! He would ditch them in a minute if the opportunity presented itself for hiht be feasible to lead hi to take the shi+p by force, and return you to San Francisco, or, better still possibly, to the nearest civilized port
”Youhim that you believe that I would stand ready to assist in the undertaking I can promise you the support of several of the men--quite a sufficient number with Divine and myself, easily to take the Halfmoon away from her present officers”