Part 14 (2/2)
The others nodded their heads, and Divine sprang up and started doard Ward
”Hol' on you!” coement don' include you--it's jes' between Skipper Simms an' his sailors You're a rank outsider, an' you butts in an' starts a otta stand trial fer that--see?”
”You better duck,you sure”
Divine hite To face trial before two such men as Simms and Ward meant death, of that he was positive To flee into the forest meant death, almost equally certain, andsupplicating hands to the mate
”For God's sake, Mr Ward,” he cried, ”be merciful I was led into this by Theriere He lied to me just as he did to theyou for it”
”We'll hang for this rowled the irl off to be ot clear sooose fer the lot of us”
”You can collect ranso at a straw
”I'll pay a hundred thousand myself the day you set hed in his face
”You ain't got a cent, you four-flusher,” he cried ”Clinker put us next to that long before we sailed from Frisco”
”Clinker lies,” cried Divine ”He doesn't know anything about it--I' 'bout all dis,” cried Blanco, seeing where he ht square himself with Ward and Simms easily ”Does yo' take back all us sailormen, Mr Ward, an' promise not t' punish none o' us, ef ear to stick by yo' all in de future?”
”Yes,” replied the mate
Blanco took a step toward Divine
”Den yo corasped Divine by the scruff of the neck and forced him before him down the steep trail toward the cove, and so the mutineers returned to the command of Skipper Simms, and L Cortwrite Divine ith theed with a crime the punishment for which has been death since men sailed the seas
CHAPTER XI THE VILLAGE OF YOKA
FOR severallay where she had collapsed after the keen short sword of the daimio had freed her from the menace of his lust
She was in a half-stupor that took cognizance only of a freezing terror and exhaustion Presently, however, she became aware of her contact with the corpse beside her, and with a stifled cry she shrank away froained her self-control and with it caer She rose to a sitting posture and turned her wide eyes toward the doorway to the adjoining room--the women and children seemed yet wrapped in slumber It was evident that the ained her feet and moved softly to the doorway She wondered if she could cross the intervening space to the outer exit without detection Once in the open she could flee to the jungle, and then there was a chance at least that she ripped the short shich she still held, and took a step into the larger rooirl shrank back into the darkness of the chamber she had just quitted
The woman sat up and looked around Then she rose and threw some sticks upon the fire that burned at one side of the dwelling She crossed to a shelf and took down a cooking utensil Barbara saw that she was about to commence the preparation of breakfast
All hope of escape was thus ended, and the girl cautiously closed the door between the two rooms Then she felt about the smaller apartment for some heavy object hich to barricade herself; but her search was fruitless Finally she bethought herself of the corpse That would hold the door against the accident of a child or dog pushi+ng it open--it would be better than nothing, but could she bring herself to touch the loathso?
The instinct of self-preservation onders even with a frail and delicate wo steeled herself to the task, and after several ainst the door The scraping sound of the body as she dragged it into position had sent cold shi+vers running up her spine
She had re to move him, and now she crouched beside the corpse with both the swords beside her--she would sell her life dearly Theriere's words ca in the water after the wreck of the Half” Well, she could do no less