Part 21 (1/2)

”And you've the gall to say that on my shi+p, atthe sentence with the possessive

”Yes,” said Gregory

Horble sat awhile silent He was obviously turning the o on deck and take another look to ard

”There's a power of dirt to ard!” he said

Gregory, left to hiainst the bulkhead He felt that so was about to happen, and he was in the sort of humor to never mind what It did not even worry him to think he was unarmed

The co naked feet again floundered for the steps As they deliberately descended, Gregory changed his place, taking the corner by the lazarette door, where, at any rate, he could only be attacked in front Horble's face plainly showed discoht hand went hurriedly behind his back Gregory was conscious of a belaying pin being whipped out of sight, and in an instant he was roused and tense, his nostrils vibrating with a sense of danger The two men stared at each other, and then Horble backed into the stateroo with furtive insincerity, ”There's a power of dirt to ard!” This said, the door went shut behind hi to his feet and burst it open with his powerful shoulders, crushi+ng Horble against the bunk, who, pistol in hand, fired at him point blank The bullet ide, and there was a sound of shattering glass Gregory's hands clenched themselves on Horble's, and the revolver twisted this way and that under the double grasp Horble was panting like a steaht, the tears streaking his red face; there was an agonized light in his eyes, for his forefinger was breaking in the trigger guard A hair's breadth h his opponent's body; a twist the other way--and he ain what he had lost

Suddenly he let go, snatched his left hand clear, and throttled Gregory against the wall Gregory, suffocating, his eyes starting froled with supre it in the very nick of tih the armpit down

Horble sank at the first shot, and received the second kneeling Then he toppled backward, and lay in a twitching heap against the drawers below the bunk, groaning and coughing Gregory, with averted face, gave hih thethe stateroo ti the revolver in his hand He was shaking in a chill, though the tehty, and the cabin, when he had first entered it, had see He warin He looked over his clothes for a trace of blood, and was thankful to find none He took off his coat; he examined the soles of his shoes No blood! Thank God, no blood!

He went on deck and cast the revolver overboard, standing at the taffrail and watching it sink Even in the tireat guns to seaward, and the lagoon itself hite and broken as far as the eye could reach Aboard his own schooner they were busy housing the top voices warned hi everything snug

Gregory leaned against the wheel and tried to think To throw Horble's body overboard would be to acco The blood, the shot holes, the disordered cabin, would all betray him To scuttle the schooner with a stick of dyna to the _Northern Light_, with the possibility of Madge co the murder for herself No, the risk of that appalled him Besides, whatever happened, he had another reason for keeping the truth froht it accidental, would shock her to the core It was inconceivable that she would feel anything but horror stricken, whether she judged her foro a terrible reive way to him! Of course she would refuse Any wo influence would beher aboard his schooner and out of the lagoon before the least suspicion could dawn upon her Once away, and it ht even hear of Horble's death Once away, and the empty seas would keep his secret Once away----

He studied the weather with a new and consuet out at all, or pick a course through the middle channel!

It was thick with coral rocks, and in a day so overcast the keenest eye aloft would be at fault And outside, what then? By God! it orking up to a hurricane To run before it would be courting death Hove to, he would be cra islands on his lee In his lawless and desperate past he had taken er of perilous alternatives; he knehat it was to hazard everything on his own vigilance and skill, and to bear with a sailor's fatalism the throw of those dread dice on which his own life had been so often staked But to stake Madge's life! Madge, whoe, for who subli before the gale, the stor yards, the decks awash froht in front, the engulfing seas behind; to swiether, and, if need be, drowning at the last in each other's arms

He looked toward the settle a whaleboat into the water; looked again, and saw old Maka taking his place in the stern sheets and assisting a wolance to tell hi off in coranted that she would be alone Everything, in fact, turned on her being alone Then, with a start, he rehy, and hoould betray him He had made it fast on the schooner's starboard quarter, near the little acco on his hands and knees, lest his head should be seen above the shallow rail, he unloosed the painter, worked the boat astern, and drew it in again to port Then he crouched down in the alleyway and waited

A few ainst the schooner's side It onizing was the suspense as he lay breathless and cramped between the coffinlike width of house and rail

”It was kind of you to bring hed musically in denial ”No, no!” he cried

”You ory was in a cold sweat of apprehension

”Too o home now, and put rocks on the church roof”

”Five ory treo home quick,” said Maka ”No rocks, no roof!”

The boat shoved off, the crew striking up a song Madge seehere they had left her Gregory felt by instinct that she was gazing at the _Northern Light_, and that as she gazed she sighed; that she was lost in reverie and was loath to go below

He rose stiffly fro place Even as he did so it came over him that he was extraordinarily tired--so tired that he swayed as he stood and looked at her

”Madge!” he said in al as she saho confronted her