Part 8 (1/2)
”Oh, I shall bethe injured men, you know And there are--others there, who are beyond his help”
”Perhaps I may be of some assistance”
”Coht to that rail And don't h to please the superioress of a nunnery
Elsie ed instantly by the gli scud within the narrow area of the saloon lights, but she obeyed directions, and presently found herself clinging desperately to the brass hand-rail which ran, breast high, along the outer wall of her cabin She saw Courtenay kneel to fasten a bolt, and she wondered how a man encumbered with heavy boots could be so active Then she felt an arhtly round the waist, and she heard a voice, which sounded as if it had traveled down a long corridor, shouting in her ear:
”Lean well back and trust to o!”
She had no idea that wind could blow like that, especially when the shi+p was going in the same direction It shrieked and whistled and tore at the canvas side-awnings with a vehemence that threatened to rip thelued to his left side, and there was sorasp She had a dim notion that he need not squeeze her quite so earnestly, until she passed a ganghich led to the port side, between the deck cabins and the ed her opinion; were it not for the strong arm which held her she would have been blown into the sea
To reach the forward saloon they had to pass the boats near which Courtenay had halted The sailors saw the the first lull one of theone of the English senoritas fro her to?” asked another
”Who knows?”
”It will be all the sao”
”Who can tell? These English are stupid They always try to save women first Once, when I was on the--”
A feords in Spanish reached them from Mr Boyle, and they went on with their work But such muttered confidences are eloquent of mischief when the pinch comes
At the forward end of the proe, Elsie received another reminder of the force of the wind, which was rendered al of the spray
”I--can't--go on,” she gasped Courtenay felt, rather than heard, that she was speaking to him Without further ado, he picked her up in his arms, and deposited her, all flushed and breathless, in the shelter of the fore saloon hatch If she were so anxious to see her friend the doctor, he was determined she should not be disappointed
”No tily clutched at a rail which gave support down the companion-way ”Dr Christobal is below But--I fear you will find a shocking scene Perhaps you had better let me take you back”
”No, no, not onany senti, be of soent smell of iodoform came to them up the hatchway Joey, who had followed bravely in their wake, and was now a few steps down the stairs, crept back, awed
”At least, let me ask Dr Christobal if you rip the rail Even if a sea breaks over the hatch it cannot touch you May I leave you? And do youJoey?”
Elsie detected a return to his earlier rateful to him for it She did not like him so hen he was stern and curt
”Yes,” she said ”That is only reasonable; but please tell him I shall not be in the way, I know that there are wounded men to be attended, and dead men down there, too I shall not scream or faint, believe me”
”I am sure of that Not one wo to cheer others, as you did after the accident happened”
Itthe deck, but Elsie experienced a sudden warhtful to hear those words from such a man in the hour of his supreh his life were saved, if the _Kansas_ beca's collar
”Before you leave me,” she said, ”let me tell you how sorry I am for you”