第4章

"Whatdoyoumean？"

"Imeanthatheisnottryingtopickusup，"shewentoninthesamecomposedvoice。"Hethrewmeoverboard。"

"Youarenotmakingamistake？"

"HowcouldI？Iwasatthemainrigging，lookingtoseeifanymorerainthreatened。Hemusthaveleftthewheelandcreptbehindme。Iwasholdingontoastaywithonehand。Hegrippedmyhandfreefrombehindandthrewmeover。It’stoobadyoudidn’tknow，orelseyouwouldhavestaidaboard。"

Duncangroaned，butsaidnothingforseveralminutes。Thegreenlightchangedthedirectionofitscourse。

"She’sgoneabout，"heannounced。"Youareright。He’sdeliberatelyworkingaroundusandtowindward。Upwindtheycanneverhearme。Butheregoes。"

Hecalledatminuteintervalsforalongtime。Thegreenlightdisappeared，beingreplacedbythered，showingthattheyachthadgoneaboutagain。

"Minnie，"hesaidfinally，"itpainsmetotellyou，butyoumarriedafool。OnlyafoolwouldhavegoneoverboardasI

did。"

"Whatchancehaveweofbeingpickedup……bysomeothervessel，Imean？"sheasked。

"Aboutoneintenthousand，ortenthousandmillion。Notasteamerroutenortraderoutecrossesthisstretchofocean。

Andtherearen’tanywhalersknockingabouttheSouthSeas。

TheremightbeastraytradingschoonerrunningacrossfromTutuwanga。ButIhappentoknowthatislandisvisitedonlyonceayear。Achanceinamillionisours。"

"Andwe’llplaythatchance，"sherejoinedstoutly。

"YouAREajoy！"Hishandliftedherstohislips。"AndAuntElizabethalwayswonderedwhatIsawinyou。Ofcoursewe’llplaythatchance。Andwe’llwinit，too。Tohappenotherwisewouldbeunthinkable。Heregoes。"

Heslippedtheheavypistolfromhisbeltandletitsinkintothesea。Thebelt，however，heretained。

"Nowyougetinsidethebuoyandgetsomesleep。Duckunder。"

Sheduckedobediently，andcameupinsidethefloatingcircle。

Hefastenedthestrapsforher，then，withthepistolbelt，buckledhimselfacrossoneshouldertotheoutsideofthebuoy。

"We’regoodforalldayto—morrow，"hesaid。"ThankGodthewater’swarm。Itwon’tbeahardshipforthefirsttwenty—hourhours，anyway。Andifwe’renotpickedupbynightfall，we’vejustgottohangonforanotherday，that’sall。"

Forhalfanhourtheymaintainedsilence，Duncan，hisheadrestingonthearmthatwasonthebuoy，seemedasleep。

"Boyd？"Minniesaidsoftly。

"Thoughtyouwereasleep，"hegrowled。

"Boyd，ifwedon’tcomethroughthis——"

"Stowthat！"hebrokeinungallantly。"Ofcoursewe’recomingthrough。Thereisisn’tadoubtofit。Somewhereonthisoceanisashipthat’sheadingrightforus。Youwaitandsee。JustthesameIwishmybrainwereequippedwithwireless。NowI’mgoingtosleep，ifyoudon’t。"

Butforonce，sleepbaffledhim。AnhourlaterheheardMinniestirandknewshewasawake。

"Say，doyouknowwhatI’vebeenthinking！"sheasked。

"No;what？"

"ThatI’llwishyouaMerryChristmas。"

"ByGeorge，Ineverthoughtofit。Ofcourseit’sChristmasDay。We’llhavemanymoreofthem，too。AnddoyouknowwhatI’vebeenthinking？Whataconfoundedshamewe’redoneoutofourChristmasdinner。WaittillIlayhandsonDettmar。I’lltakeitoutofhim。Anditwon’tbewithanironbelayingpineither，Justtwobunchesofnakedknuckles，that’sall。"

Despitehisfacetiousness，BoydDuncanhadlittlehope。Heknewwellenoughthemeaningofonechanceinamillion，andwascalmlycertainthathiswifeandhehadenteredupontheirlastfewlivinghours——hoursthatwereinevitablyboundtobeblackandterriblewithtragedy。

Thetropicsunroseinacloudlesssky。Nothingwastobeseen。

TheSamosetwasbeyondthesea—rim。Asthesunrosehigher，Duncanrippedhispajamatrousersinhalvesandfashionedthemintotworudeturbans。Soakedinsea—watertheyoffsettheheat—rays。

"WhenIthinkofthatdinner，I’mreallyangry，"hecomplained，ashenotedananxiousexpressionthreateningtosetonhiswife’sface。"AndIwantyoutobewithmewhenIsettlewithDettmar。I’vealwaysbeenopposedtowomenwitnessingscenesofblood，butthisisdifferent。Itwillbeabeating。"

"IhopeIdon’tbreakmyknucklesonhim，"headded，afterapause。

Middaycameandwent，andtheyfloatedon，thecenterofanarrowsea—circle。Agentlebreathofthedyingtrade—windfannedthem，andtheyroseandfellmonotonouslyonthesmoothswellsofaperfectsummersea。Once，aguniespiedthem，andforhalfanhourcircledaboutthemwithmajesticsweeps。And，once，ahugerayfish，measuringascoreoffeetacrossthetips，passedwithinafewyards。

Bysunset，Minniebegantorave，softly，babblingly，likeachild。Duncan’sfacegrewhaggardashewatchedandlistened，whileinhismindherevolvedplansofhowbesttoendthehoursofagonythatwere。coining。And，soplanning，astheyroseonalargerswellthanusual，hesweptthecircleoftheseawithhiseyes，andsaw，whatmadehimcryout。

"Minnie！"Shedidnotanswer，andheshoutedhernameagaininherear，withallthevoicehecouldcommand。Hereyesopened，inthemflutteredcommingledconsciousnessanddelirium。Heslappedherhandsandwriststillthestingoftheblowsrousedher。

"Theresheis，thechanceinamillion！"hecried。

"Asteameratthat，headingstraightforus！ByGeorge，it’sacruiser！Ihaveit！—theAnnapolis，returningwiththoseastronomersfromTutuwanga……

UnitedStatesConsulLingfordwasafussy，elderlygentleman，andinthetwoyearsofhisserviceatAttu—AttuhadneverencounteredsounprecedentedacaseasthatlaidbeforehimbyBoydDuncan。Thelatter，withhiswife，hadbeenlandedtherebytheAnnapolis，whichhadpromptlygoneonwithitscargoofastronomerstoFiji。

"Itwascold—blooded，deliberateattempttomurder，"saidConsulLingford。"Thelawshalltakeitscourse。Idon’tknowhowpreciselytodealwiththisCaptainDettmar，butifhecomestoAttu—Attu，dependuponitheshallbedealtwith，he——ah——shallbedealtwith。Inthemeantime，Ishallreadupthelaw。Andnow，won’tyouandyourgoodladystopforlunch！"

AsDuncanacceptedtheinvitation，Minnie，whohadbeenglancingoutofthewindowattheharbor，suddenlyleanedforwardandtouchedherhusband’sarm。Hefollowedhergaze，andsawtheSamoset，flagathalfmast，roundingupanddroppinganchorscarcelyahundredyardsaway。

"There’smyboatnow，"DuncansaidtotheConsul。"Andthere’sthelaunchovertheside，andCaptainDettmardroppingintoit。

IfIdon’tmissmyguess，he’scomingtoreportourdeathstoyou。"

Thelaunchlandedonthewhitebeach，andleavingLorenzotinkeringwiththeengine，CaptainDettmarstrodeacrossthebeachandupthepathtotheConsulate。

"Lethimmakehisreport，"Duncansaid。"We’lljuststepintothisnextroomandlisten。"

Andthroughthepartlyopendoor，heandhiswifeheardCaptainDettmar，withtearsinhisvoice，describethelossofhisowners。

"Ijibedoverandwentbackacrosstheveryspot，"heconcluded。"Therewasnotasignofthem。Icalledandcalled，buttherewasneverananswer。Itackedbackandforthandworefortwosolidhours，thenhovetotilldaybreak，andcruisedbackandforthallday，twomenatthemastheads。Itisterrible。Iamheartbroken。Mr。Duncanwasasplendidman，andIshallnever……"

Buthenevercompletedthesentence，foratthatmomenthissplendidemployerstrodeoutuponhim，leavingMinniestandinginthedoorway。CaptainDettmar’swhitefaceblanchedevenwhiter。

"Ididmybesttopickyouup，sir，"hebegan。

BoydDuncan’sanswerwascouchedintermsofbunchedknuckles，twobunchesofthem，thatlandedrightandleftonCaptainDettmar’sface。

CaptainDettmarstaggeredbackward，recovered，andrushedwithswingingarmsathisemployer，onlytobemetwithablowsquarelybetweentheeyes。ThistimetheCaptainwentdown，bearingthetypewriterunderhimashecrashedtothefloor。

"Thisisnotpermissible，"ConsulLingfordspluttered。"Ibegofyou，Ibegofyou，todesist。"

"I’llpaythedamagestoofficefurniture，"Duncananswered，andatthesametimelandingmorebunchedknucklesontheeyesandnoseofDettmar。

ConsulLingfordbobbedaroundintheturmoillikeawethen，whilehisofficefurniturewenttoruin。Once，hecaughtDuncanbythearm，butwasflungback，gasping，half—acrosstheroom。

AnothertimeheappealedtoMinnie。

"Mrs。Duncan，won’tyou，please，please，restrainyourhusband？"

Butshe，white—facedandtrembling，resolutelyshookherheadandwatchedthefraywithallhereyes。

"Itisoutrageous，"ConsulLingfordcried，dodgingthehurtlingbodiesofthetwomen。"ItisanaffronttotheGovernment，totheUnitedStatesGovernment。Norwillitbeoverlooked，Iwarnyou。Oh，dopraydesist，Mr。Duncan。Youwillkilltheman。I

begofyou。Ibeg，Ibeg……"

Butthecrashofatallvasefilledwithcrimsonhibiscusblossomslefthimspeechless。

ThetimecamewhenCaptainDettmarcouldnolongergetup。Hegotasfarashandsandknees，struggledvainlytorisefurther，thencollapsed。Duncanstirredthegroaningwreckwithhisfoot。

"He’sallright，"heannounced。"I’veonlygivenhimwhathehasgivenmanyasailorandworse。"

"Greatheavens，sir！"ConsulLingfordexploded，staringhorror—strickenatthemanwhomhehadinvitedtolunch。

Duncangiggledinvoluntarily，thencontrolledhimself。

"Iapologize，Mr。Lingford，Imostheartilyapologize。IfearI

wasslightlycarriedawaybymyfeelings。"

ConsulLingfordgulpedandsawedtheairspeechlesslywithhisarms。

"Slightly，sir？Slightly？"hemanagedtoarticulate。

"Boyd，"Minniecalledsoftlyfromthedoorway。

Heturnedandlooked。

"YouAREajoy，"shesaid。

"Andnow，Mr。Lingford，Iamdonewithhim，"Duncansaid。"I

turnoverwhatislefttoyouandthelaw。"

"That？"ConsulLingfordqueried，inaccentofhorror。

"That，"BoydDuncanreplied，lookingruefullyathisbatteredknuckles。

WAR

HEwasayoungman，notmorethantwenty—fourorfive，andhemighthavesathishorsewiththecarelessgraceofhisyouthhadhenotbeensocatlikeandtense。Hisblackeyesrovedeverywhere，catchingthemovementsoftwigsandbrancheswheresmallbirdshopped，questingeveronwardthroughthechangingvistasoftreesandbrush，andreturningalwaystotheclumpsofundergrowthoneitherside。Andashewatched，sodidhelisten，thoughherodeoninsilence，savefortheboomofheavygunsfromfartothewest。Thishadbeensoundingmonotonouslyinhisearsforhours，andonlyitscessationcouldhavearousedhisnotice。Forhehadbusinessclosertohand。Acrosshissaddle—bowwasbalancedacarbine。

Sotenselywashestrung，thatabunchofquail，explodingintoflightfromunderhishorse’snose，startledhimtosuchanextentthatautomatically，instantly，hehadreinedinandfetchedthecarbinehalfwaytohisshoulder。Hegrinnedsheepishly，recoveredhimself，androdeon。Sotensewashe，sobentupontheworkhehadtodo，thatthesweatstunghiseyesunwiped，andunheededrolleddownhisnoseandspatteredhissaddlepommel。Thebandofhiscavalryman’shatwasfresh—stainedwithsweat。Theroanhorseunderhimwaslikewisewet。Itwashighnoonofabreathlessdayofheat。Eventhebirdsandsquirrelsdidnotdarethesun，butshelteredinshadyhidingplacesamongthetrees。

Manandhorsewerelitteredwithleavesanddustedwithyellowpollen，fortheopenwasventurednomorethanwascompulsory。

Theykepttothebrushandtrees，andinvariablythemanhaltedandpeeredoutbeforecrossingadrygladeornakedstretchofuplandpasturage。Heworkedalwaystothenorth，thoughhiswaywasdevious，anditwasfromthenorththatheseemedmosttoapprehendthatforwhichhewaslooking。Hewasnocoward，buthiscouragewasonlythatoftheaveragecivilizedman，andhewaslookingtolive，notdie。

Upasmallhillsidehefollowedacowpaththroughsuchdensescrubthathewasforcedtodismountandleadhishorse。Butwhenthepathswungaroundtothewest，heabandoneditandheadedtothenorthagainalongtheoak—coveredtopoftheridge。

Theridgeendedinasteepdescent—sosteepthathezigzaggedbackandforthacrossthefaceoftheslope，slidingandstumblingamongthedeadleavesandmattedvinesandkeepingawatchfuleyeonthehorseabovethatthreatenedtofalldownuponhim。Thesweatranfromhim，andthepollen—dust，settlingpungentlyinmouthandnostrils，increasedhisthirst。Tryashewould，neverthelessthedescentwasnoisy，andfrequentlyhestopped，pantinginthedryheatandlisteningforanywarningfrombeneath。

Atthebottomhecameoutonaflat，sodenselyforestedthathecouldnotmakeoutitsextent。Herethecharacterofthewoodschanged，andhewasabletoremount。Insteadofthetwistedhillsideoaks，tallstraighttrees，big—trunkedandprosperous，rosefromthedampfatsoil。Onlyhereandtherewerethickets，easilyavoided，whileheencounteredwinding，park—likegladeswherethecattlehadpasturedinthedaysbeforewarhadrunthemoff。

Hisprogresswasmorerapidnow，ashecamedownintothevalley，andattheendofhalfanhourhehaltedatanancientrailfenceontheedgeofaclearing。Hedidnotliketheopennessofit，yethispathlayacrosstothefringeoftreesthatmarkedthebanksofthestream。Itwasamerequarterofamileacrossthatopen，butthethoughtofventuringoutinitwasrepugnant。Arifle，ascoreofthem，athousand，mightlurkinthatfringebythestream。

Twiceheessayedtostart，andtwicehepaused。Hewasappalledbyhisownloneliness。ThepulseofwarthatbeatfromtheWestsuggestedthecompanionshipofbattlingthousands;herewasnaughtbutsilence，andhimself，andpossibledeath—dealingbulletsfromamyriadambushes。Andyethistaskwastofindwhathefearedtofind。Hemuston，andon，tillsomewhere，sometime，heencounteredanotherman，orothermen，fromtheotherside，scouting，ashewasscouting，tomakereport，ashemustmakereport，ofhavingcomeintouch。

Changinghismind，heskirtedinsidethewoodsforadistance，andagainpeepedforth。Thistime，inthemiddleoftheclearing，hesawasmallfarmhouse。Therewerenosignsoflife。Nosmokecurledfromthechimney，notabarnyardfowlcluckedandstrutted。Thekitchendoorstoodopen，andhegazedsolongandhardintotheblackaperturethatitseemedalmostthatafarmer’swifemustemergeatanymoment。

Helickedthepollenanddustfromhisdrylips，stiffenedhimself，mindandbody，androdeoutintotheblazingsunshine。

Nothingstirred。Hewentonpastthehouse，andapproachedthewalloftreesandbushesbytheriver’sbank。Onethoughtpersistedmaddeningly。Itwasofthecrashintohisbodyofahigh—velocitybullet。Itmadehimfeelveryfragileanddefenseless，andhecrouchedlowerinthesaddle。

Tetheringhishorseintheedgeofthewood，hecontinuedahundredyardsonfoottillhecametothestream。Twentyfeetwideitwas，withoutperceptiblecurrent，coolandinviting，andhewasverythirsty。Buthewaitedinsidehisscreenofleafage，hiseyesfixedonthescreenontheoppositeside。Tomakethewaitendurable，hesatdown，hiscarbinerestingonhisknees。Theminutespassed，andslowlyhistensenessrelaxed。Atlasthedecidedtherewasnodanger;butjustashepreparedtopartthebushesandbenddowntothewater，amovementamongtheoppositebushescaughthiseye。

Itmightbeabird。Buthewaited。Againtherewasanagitationofthebushes，andthen，sosuddenlythatitalmoststartledacryfromhim，thebushespartedandafacepeeredout。Itwasafacecoveredwithseveralweeks’growthofginger—coloredbeard。Theeyeswereblueandwideapart，withlaughter—wrinklesinthecomersthatshoweddespitethetiredandanxiousexpressionofthewholeface。

Allthishecouldseewithmicroscopicclearness，forthedistancewasnomorethantwentyfeet。Andallthishesawinsuchbrieftime，thathesawitasheliftedhiscarbinetohisshoulder。Heglancedalongthesights，andknewthathewasgazinguponamanwhowasasgoodasdead。Itwasimpossibletomissatsuchpointblankrange。

Buthedidnotshoot。Slowlyheloweredthecarbineandwatched。Ahand，clutchingawater—bottle，becamevisibleandthegingerbeardbentdownwardtofillthebottle。Hecouldhearthegurgleofthewater。Thenarmandbottleandgingerbearddisappearedbehindtheclosingbushes。Alongtimehewaited，when，withthirstunslaked，hecreptbacktohishorse，rodeslowlyacrossthesun—washedclearing，andpassedintotheshelterofthewoodsbeyond。

II

Anotherday，hotandbreathless。Adesertedfarmhouse，large，withmanyoutbuildingsandanorchard，standinginaclearing。

FromtheWoods，onaroanhorse，carbineacrosspommel，rodetheyoungmanwiththequickblackeyes。Hebreathedwithreliefashegainedthehouse。Thatafighthadtakenplacehereearlierintheseasonwasevident。Clipsandemptycartridges，tarnishedwithverdigris，layontheground，which，whilewet，hadbeentornupbythehoofsofhorses。Hardbythekitchengardenweregraves，taggedandnumbered。Fromtheoaktreebythekitchendoor，intattered，weatherbeatengarments，hungthebodiesoftwomen。Thefaces，shriveledanddefaced，borenolikenesstothefacesofmen。Theroanhorsesnortedbeneaththem，andtheridercaressedandsootheditandtieditfartheraway。

Enteringthehouse，hefoundtheinteriorawreck。Hetrodonemptycartridgesashewalkedfromroomtoroomtoreconnoiterfromthewindows。Menhadcampedandslepteverywhere，andonthefloorofoneroomhecameuponstainsunmistakablewherethewoundedhadbeenlaiddown。

Againoutside，heledthehorsearoundbehindthebarnandinvadedtheorchard。Adozentreeswereburdenedwithripeapples。Hefilledhispockets，eatingwhilehepicked。Thenathoughtcametohim，andheglancedatthesun，calculatingthetimeofhisreturntocamp。Hepulledoffhisshirt，tyingthesleevesandmakingabag。Thisheproceededtofillwithapples。

Ashewasabouttomounthishorse，theanimalsuddenlyprickedupitsears。Theman，too，listened，andheard，faintly，thethudofhoofsonsoftearth。Hecrepttothecornerofthebarnandpeeredout。Adozenmountedmen，strungoutloosely，approachingfromtheoppositesideoftheclearing，wereonlyamatterofahundredyardsorsoaway。Theyrodeontothehouse。Somedismounted，whileothersremainedinthesaddleasanearnestthattheirstaywouldbeshort。Theyseemedtobeholdingacouncil，forhecouldhearthemtalkingexcitedlyinthedetestedtongueofthealieninvader。Thetimepassed，buttheyseemedunabletoreachadecision。Heputthecarbineawayinitsboot，mounted，andwaitedimpatiently，balancingtheshirtofapplesonthepommel。

Heheardfootstepsapproaching，anddrovehisspurssofiercelyintotheroanastoforceasurprisedgroanfromtheanimalasitleapedforward。Atthecomerofthebarnhesawtheintruder，amereboyofnineteenortwentyforallofhisuniformjumpbacktoescapebeingrundown。Atthesamemomenttheroanswervedanditsridercaughtaglimpseofthearousedmenbythehouse。Somewerespringingfromtheirhorses，andhecouldseetheriflesgoingtotheirshoulders。Hepassedthekitchendoorandthedriedcorpsesswingingintheshade，compellinghisfoestorunaroundthefrontofthehouse。A

riflecracked，andasecond，buthewasgoingfast，leaningforward，lowinthesaddle，onehandclutchingtheshirtofapples，theotherguidingthehorse。

Thetopbarofthefencewasfourfeethigh，butheknewhisroanandleapeditatfullcareertotheaccompanimentofseveralscatteredshots。Eighthundredyardsstraightawaywerethewoods，andtheroanwascoveringthedistancewithmightystrides。Everymanwasnowfiring。pumpingtheirgunssorapidlythathenolongerheardindividualshots。Abulletwentthroughhishat，buthewasunaware，thoughhedidknowwhenanothertorethroughtheapplesonthepommel。Andhewincedandduckedevenlowerwhenathirdbullet，firedlow，struckastonebetweenhishorse’slegsandricochettedoffthroughtheair，buzzingandhumminglikesomeincredibleinsect。

Theshotsdieddownasthemagazineswereemptied，until，quickly，therewasnomoreshooting。Theyoungmanwaselated。

Throughthatastonishingfusilladehehadcomeunscathed。Heglancedback。Yes，theyhademptiedtheirmagazines。Hecouldseeseveralreloading。Otherswererunningbackbehindthehousefortheirhorses。Ashelooked，twoalreadymounted，camebackintoviewaroundthecomer，ridinghard。Andatthesamemoment，hesawthemanwiththeunmistakablegingerbeardkneeldownontheground，levelhisgun，andcoollytakehistimeforthelongshot。

Theyoungmanthrewhisspursintothehorse，crouchedverylow，andswervedinhisflightinordertodistracttheother’saim。Andstilltheshotdidnotcome。Witheachjumpofthehorse，thewoodssprangnearer。Theywereonlytwohundredyardsawayandstilltheshotwasdelayed。

Andthenheheardit，thelastthinghewastohear，forhewasdeaderehehitthegroundinthelongcrashingfallfromthesaddle。Andthey，watchingatthehouse，sawhimfall，sawhisbodybouncewhenitstrucktheearth，andsawtheburstofred—cheekedapplesthatrolledabouthim。Theylaughedattheunexpectederuptionofapples，andclappedtheirhandsinapplauseofthelongshotbythemanwiththegingerbeard。

UNDERTHEDECKAWNINGS

"CANanyman——agentleman，Imean——callawomanapig？"

Thelittlemanflungthischallengeforthtothewholegroup，thenleanedbackinhisdeckchair，sippinglemonadewithanaircommingledofcertitudeandwatchfulbelligerence。Nobodymadeanswer。Theywereusedtothelittlemanandhissuddenpassionsandhighelevations。

"Irepeat，itwasinmypresencethathesaidacertainlady，whomnoneofyouknows，wasapig。Hedidnotsayswine。Hegrosslysaidthatshewasapig。AndIholdthatnomanwhoisamancouldpossiblymakesucharemarkaboutanywoman。"

Dr。Dawsonpuffedstolidlyathisblackpipe。Matthews，withkneeshunchedupandclaspedbyhisarms，wasabsorbedintheflightofagunie。Sweet，finishinghisScotchandsoda，wasquestingaboutwithhiseyesforadecksteward。

"Iaskyou，Mr。Treloar，cananymancallanywomanapig？"

Treloar，whohappenedtobesittingnexttohim，wasstartledbytheabruptnessoftheattack，andwonderedwhatgroundshehadevergiventhelittlemantobelievethathecouldcallawomanapig。

"Ishouldsay，"hebeganhishesitantanswer，"thatit——er——dependsonthe——er——thelady。"

Thelittlemanwasaghast。

"Youmean……？"hequavered。

"ThatIhaveseenfemalehumanswhowereasbadaspigs——andworse。"

Therewasalongpainedsilence。Thelittlemanseemedwitheredbythecoarsebrutalityofthereply。Inhisfacewasunutterablehurtandwoe。

"Youhavetoldofamanwhomadeanotniceremarkandyouhaveclassifiedhim，"Treloarsaidincold，eventones。"Ishallnowtellyouaboutawoman——Ibegyourpardon——alady，andwhenI

havefinishedIshallaskyoutoclassifyher。MissCaruthersI

shallcallher，principallyforthereasonthatitisnothername。ItwasonaP。&0。boat，anditoccurredneithermorenorlessthanseveralyearsago。

"MissCarutherswascharming。No;thatisnottheword。Shewasamazing。Shewasayoungwoman，andalady。Herfatherwasacertainhighofficialwhosename，ifImentionedit，wouldbeimmediatelyrecognizedbyallofyou。Shewaswithhermotherandtwomaidsatthetime，goingouttojointheoldgentlemanwhereveryouliketowishintheEast。

"She，andpardonmeforrepeating，wasamazing。Itistheoneadequateword。Eventhemostminoradjectivesapplicabletoherareboundtobesheersuperlatives。Therewasnothingshecouldnotdobetterthananywomanandthanmostmen。Sing，play——bah！——assomerhetoricianoncesaidofoldNap，competitionfledfromher。Swim！Shecouldhavemadeafortuneandanameasapublicperformer。Shewasoneofthoserarewomenwhocanstripoffallthefrillsofdress，andinsimpleswimmingsuitbemoresatisfyingbeautiful。Dress！Shewasanartist。

"Butherswimming。Physically，shewastheperfectwoman——youknowwhatImean，notinthegross，muscularwayofacrobats，butinallthedelicacyoflineandfragilityofframeandtexture。Andcombinedwiththis，strength。Howshecoulddoitwasthemarvel。Youknowthewonderofawoman’sarm——theforearm，Imean;thesweetfadingawayfromroundedbicepsandhintofmuscle，downthroughsmallelbowandfirmsoftswelltothewrist，small，unthinkablysmallandroundandstrong。Thiswashers。Andyet，toseeherswimmingthesharpquickEnglishoverhandstroke，andgettingsomewherewithit，too，was——well，Iunderstandanatomyandathleticsandsuchthings，andyetitwasamysterytomehowshecoulddoit。

"Shecouldstayunderwaterfortwominutes。Ihavetimedher。

Nomanonboard，exceptDennitson，couldcaptureasmanycoinsasshewithasingledive。Ontheforwardmain—deckwasabigcanvastankwithsixfeetofsea—water。Weusedtotosssmallcoinsintoit。Ihaveseenherdivefromthebridgedeck——nomeanfeatinitself——intothatsix—feetofwater，andfetchupnolessthanforty—sevencoins，scatteredwilly—nillyoverthewholebottomofthetank。Dennitson，aquietyoungEnglishman，neverexceededherinthis，thoughhemadeitapointalwaystotieherscore。

"Shewasasea—woman，true。Butshewasaland—woman，ahorsewoman——a——shewastheuniversalwoman。Toseeher，allsoftnessofsoftdress，surroundedbyhalfadozeneagermen，languidlycarelessofthemallorflashingbrightnessandwitonthemandatthemandthroughthem，onewouldfancyshewasgoodfornothingelseintheworld。AtsuchmomentsIhavecompelledmyselftorememberherscoreofforty—sevencoinsfromthebottomoftheswimmingtank。Butthatwasshe，theeverlasting，wonderofawomanwhodidallthingswell。

"Shefascinatedeverybetrouseredhumanaroundher。Shehadme——andIdon’tmindconfessingit——shebadmetoheelalongwiththerest。Youngpuppiesandoldgraydogswhooughttohaveknownbetter——oh，theyallcameupandcrawledaroundherskirtsandwhinedandfawnedwhenshewhistled。Theywereallguilty，fromyoungArdmore，apinkcherubofnineteenoutwardboundforsomeclerkshipintheConsularService，tooldCaptainBentley，grizzledandsea—worn，andasemotional，tolookat，asaChinesejoss。Therewasanicemiddle—agedchap，Perkins，Ibelieve，whoforgothiswifewasonboarduntilMissCarutherssenthimtotherightaboutandbackwherehebelonged。

"Menwerewaxinherhands。Shemeltedthem，orsoftlymoldedthem，orincineratedthem，asshepleased。Therewasn’tasteward，even，grandandremoteasshewas，who，atherbidding，wouldhavehesitatedtosousetheOldManhimselfwithaplateofsoup。Youhaveallseensuchwomen——asortofworld’sdesiretoallmen。Asaman—conquerorshewassupreme。

Shewasawhip—lash，astingandaflame，anelectricspark。

Oh，believeme，attimestherewereflashesofwillthatscorchedthroughherbeautyandseductionandsmoteavictimintoblankandshiveringidiocyandfear。

"Anddon’tfailtomark，inthelightofwhatistocome，thatshewasapridefulwoman。Prideofrace，prideofcaste，prideofsex，prideofpower——shehaditall，apridestrangeandwilfulandterrible。

"Sherantheship，sheranthevoyage，sheraneverything，andsheranDennitson。Thathehadoutdistancedthepackeventheleastwiseofusadmitted。Thatshelikedhim，andthatthisfeelingwasgrowing，therewasnotadoubt。Iamcertainthatshelookedonhimwithkindereyesthanshehadeverlookedwithonmanbefore。Westillworshiped，andwerealwayshangingaboutwaitingtobewhistledup，thoughweknewthatDennitsonwaslapsandlapsaheadofus。Whatmighthavehappenedweshallneverknow，forwecametoColomboandsomethingelsehappened。

"YouknowColombo，andhowthenativeboysdiveforcoinsintheshark—infestedbay。Ofcourse，itisonlyamongthegroundsharksandfishsharksthattheyventure。Itisalmostuncannythewaytheyknowsharksandcansensethepresenceofarealkiller——atigershark，forinstance，oragraynursestrayedupfromAustralianwaters。Letsuchasharkappear，and，longbeforethepassengerscanguess，everymother’ssonofthemisoutofthewaterinawildscrambleforsafety。

"Itwasaftertiffin，andMissCarutherswasholdingherusualcourtunderthedeck—awnings。OldCaptainBentleyhadjustbeenwhistledup，andhadgrantedherwhathenevergrantedbefore……norsince——permissionfortheboystocomeuponthepromenadedeck。Yousee，MissCarutherswasaswimmer，andshewasinterested。Shetookupacollectionofalloursmallchange，andherselftosseditoverside，singlyandinhandfuls，arrangingthetermsofthecontests，chidingamiss，givingextrarewardstocleverwins，inshort，managingthewholeexhibition。

"Shewasespeciallykeenontheirjumping。Youknow，jumpingfeet—firstfromaheight，itisverydifficulttoholdthebodyperpendicularlywhileintheair。Thecenterofgravityofthemalebodyishigh，andthetendencyistoovertopple。Butthelittlebeggarsemployedamethodwhichshedeclaredwasnewtoherandwhichshedesiredtolearn。Leapingfromthedavitsoftheboat—deckabove，theyplungeddownward，theirfacesandshouldersbowedforward，lookingatthewater。Andonlyatthelastmomentdidtheyabruptlystraightenupandenterthewatererectandtrue。

"Itwasaprettysight。Theirdivingwasnotsogood，thoughtherewasoneofthemwhowasexcellentatit，ashewasinalltheotherstunts。Somewhitemanmusthavetaughthim，forhemadetheproperswandiveanddiditasbeautifullyasIhaveeverseenit。Youknow，headfirstintothewater，fromagreatheight，theproblemistoenterthewaterattheperfectangle。

Misstheangleanditmeansattheleastatwistedbackandinjuryforlife。Also，ithasmeantdeathformanyabungler。

Butthisboycoulddoit——seventyfeetIknowheclearedinonedivefromtherigging——clenchedhandsonchest，headthrownback，sailingmorelikeabird，upwardandout，andoutanddown，bodyflatontheairsothatifitstruckthesurfaceinthatpositionitwouldbesplitinhalflikeaherring。Butthemomentbeforethewaterisreached，theheaddropsforward，thehandsgooutandlockthearmsinanarchinadvanceofthehead，andthebodycurvesgracefullydownwardandentersthewaterjustright。

"Thistheboydid，againandagain，tothedelightofallofus，butparticularlyofMissCaruthers。Hecouldnothavebeenamomentovertwelveorthirteen，yethewasbyfarthecleverestofthegang。Hewasthefavoriteofhiscrowd，anditsleader。Thoughtherewereanumberolderthanhe，theyacknowledgedhischieftaincy。Hewasabeautifulboy，alitheyounggodinbreathingbronze，eyeswideapart，intelligentanddaring，abubble，amote，abeautifulflashandsparkleoflife。Youhaveseen。wonderfulgloriouscreatures——animals，anything，aleopard，ahorse—restless，eager，toomuchaliveevertobestill，silkenofmuscle，eachslightestmovementabenedictionofgrace，everyactionwild，untrammeled，andoverallspillingoutthatintensevitality，thatsheenandlusteroflivinglight。Theboyhadit。Lifepouredoutofhimalmostinaneffulgence。Hisskinglowedwithit。Itburnedinhiseyes。IswearIcouldalmosthearitcracklefromhim。Lookingathim，itwasasifawhiffofozonecametoone’snostrils——sofreshandyoungwashe，soresplendentwithhealth，sowildlywild。

"Thiswastheboy。Anditwashewhogavethealarminthemidstofthesport。Theboysmadeadashofitforthegangwayplatform，swimmingthefasteststrokestheyknew，pellmell，flounderingandsplashing，frightintheirfaces，clamberingoutwithjumpsandsurges，anywaytogetout，lendingoneanotherahandtosafety，tillallwerestrungalongthegangwayandpeeringdownintothewater。

"’Whatisthematter？’askedMissCaruthers。

"’Ashark，Ifancy，’CaptainBentleyanswered。’Luckylittlebeggarsthathedidn’tgetoneofthem。’

"’Aretheyafraidofsharks？’sheasked。

"’Aren’tyou？’heaskedback。

Sheshuddered，lookedoversideatthewater，andmadeamoue。

"’NotfortheworldwouldIventurewhereasharkmightbe，’

shesaid，andshudderedagain。’Theyarehorrible！Horrible！’

"Theboyscameuponthepromenadedeck，clusteringclosetotherailandworshipingMissCarutherswhohadflungthemsuchawealthofbacksheesh。Theperformancebeingover，CaptainBentleymotionedtothemtoclearout。Butshestoppedhim。

"’Onemoment，please，Captain。Ihavealwaysunderstoodthatthenativesarenotafraidofsharks。’

"Shebeckonedtheboyoftheswandivenearertoher，andsignedtohimtodiveoveragain。Heshookhishead，andalongwithallhiscrewbehindhimlaughedasifitwereagoodjoke。

"’Shark，’hevolunteered，pointingtothewater。

"’No，’shesaid。’Thereisnoshark。’

"Buthenoddedhisheadpositively，andtheboysbehindhimnoddedwithequalpositiveness。

"’No，no，no，’shecried。Andthentous，’Who’lllendmeahalf—crownandasovereign！’

"Immediatelythehalfdozenofuswerepresentingherwithcrownsandsovereigns，andsheacceptedthetwocoinsfromyoungArdmore。

"Sheheldupthehalf—crownfortheboystosee。Buttherewasnoeagerrushtotherailpreparatorytoleaping。Theystoodtheregrinningsheepishly。Sheofferedthecointoeachoneindividually，andeach，ashisturncame，rubbedhisfootagainsthiscalf，shookhishead，andgrinned。Thenshetossedthehalf—crownoverboard。Withwistful，regretfulfacestheywatcheditssilverflightthroughtheair，butnotonemovedtofollowit。

"’Don’tdoitwiththesovereign，’Dennitsonsaidtoherinalowvoice。

"Shetooknonotice，butheldupthegoldcoinbeforetheeyesoftheboyoftheswandive。

"’Don’t，’saidCaptainBentley。’Iwouldn’tthrowasickcatoversidewithasharkaround。’

"Butshelaughed，bentonherpurpose，andcontinuedtodazzletheboy。

"’Don’ttempthim，’Dennitsonurged。’Itisafortunetohim，andhemightgooverafterit。’

"’Wouldn’tYOU？’sheflaredathim。’IfIthrewit？’

Thislastmoresoftly。

Dennitsonshookhishead。

"’Yourpriceishigh，’shesaid。’Forhowmanysovereignswouldyougo？’

"’Therearenotenoughcoinedtogetmeoverside，’washisanswer。

"Shedebatedamoment，theboyforgotteninhertiltwithDennitson。

"’Forme？’shesaidverysoftly。

"’Tosaveyourlife——yes。Butnototherwise。’

"Sheturnedbacktotheboy。Againsheheldthecoinbeforehiseyes，dazzlinghimwiththevastnessofitsvalue。Thenshemadeastotossitout，and，involuntarily，hemadeahalf—movementtowardtherail，butwascheckedbysharpcriesofreprooffromhiscompanions。Therewasangerintheirvoicesaswell。

"’Iknowitisonlyfooling，’Dennitsonsaid。’Carryitasfarasyoulike，butforheaven’ssakedon’tthrowit。’

"Whetheritwasthatstrangewilfulnessofhers，orwhethershedoubtedtheboycouldbepersuaded，thereisnotelling。Itwasunexpectedtoallofus。Outfromtheshadeoftheawningthecoinflashedgoldenintheblazeofsunshineandfelltowardtheseainaglitteringarch。Beforeahandcouldstayhim，theboywasovertherailandcurvingbeautifullydownwardafterthecoin。Bothwereintheairatthesametime。Itwasaprettysight。Thesovereigncutthewatersharply，andattheveryspot，almostatthesameinstant，withscarcelyasplash，theboyentered。

"Fromthequicker—eyedblackboyswatching，cameanexclamation。Wewereallattherailing。Don’ttellmeitisnecessaryforasharktoturnonitsback。Thatonedidnot。Intheclearwater，fromtheheightwewereaboveit，wesaweverything。Thesharkwasabigbrute，andwithonedrivehecuttheboysquarelyinhalf。

"Therewasamurmurorsomethingfromamongus——whomadeitI

didnotknow;itmighthavebeenI。Andthentherewassilence。

MissCarutherswasthefirsttospeak。Herfacewasdeathlywhite。

"’Ineverdreamed，’shesaid，andlaughedashort，hystericallaugh。

Allherpridewasatworktogivehercontrol。SheturnedweaklytowardDennitson，andthen，onfromonetoanotherofus。Inhereyeswasaterriblesickness，andherlipsweretrembling。Wewerebrutes——oh，Iknowit，nowthatIlookbackuponit。Butwedidnothing。

"’Mr。Dennitson，’shesaid，’Tom，won’tyoutakemebelow！’

"Heneverchangedthedirectionofhisgaze，whichwasthebleakestIhaveeverseeninaman’sface，nordidhemoveaneyelid。Hetookacigarettefromhiscaseandlightedit。

CaptainBentleymadeanastysoundinhisthroatandspatoverboard。Thatwasall;thatandthesilence。

"Sheturnedawayandstartedtowalkfirmlydownthedeck。

Twentyfeetaway，sheswayedandthrustahandagainstthewalltosaveherself。Andsoshewenton，supportingherselfagainstthecabinsandwalkingveryslowly。"

Treloarceased。Heturnedhisheadandfavoredthelittlemanwithalookofcoldinquiry。

"Well，"hesaidfinally。"Classifyher。"

Thelittlemangulpedandswallowed。

"Ihavenothingtosay，"hesaid。"Ihavenothingwhatevertosay。"

TOKILLAMAN

THOUGHdimnight—lightsburned，shemovedfamiliarlythroughthebigroomsandwidehalls，seekingvainlythehalf—finishedbookofverseshehadmislaidandonlynowremembered。Whensheturnedonthelightsinthedrawing—room，shedisclosedherselfcladinasweepingnegligeegownofsoftrose—coloredstuff，throatandshoulderssmotheredinlace。Herringswerestillonherfingers，hermassedyellowhairhadnotyetbeentakendown。Shewasdelicately，gracefullybeautiful，withslender，ovalface，redlips，afaintcolorinthecheeks，andblueeyesofthechameleonsortthatatwillstarewidewiththeinnocenceofchildhood，gohardandgrayandbrilliantlycold，orflameupinhotwilfulnessandmastery。

Sheturnedthelightsoffandpassedoutanddownthehalltowardthemorningroom。Attheentranceshepausedandlistened。Fromfartheronhadcome，notanoise，butanimpressionofmovement。Shecouldhaveswornshehadnotheardanything，yetsomethinghadbeendifferent。Theatmosphereofnightquietudehadbeendisturbed。Shewonderedwhatservantcouldbeprowlingabout。Notthebutler，whowasnosion。

toriousforretiringearlysaveonspecialoccasion。Norcoulditbehermaid，whomshehadpermittedtogothatevening。

Passingontothedining—room，shefoundthedoorclosed。Whysheopeneditandwentonin，shedidnotknow，exceptforthefeelingthatthedisturbingfactor，whateveritmightbe，wasthere。Theroomwasindarkness，andshefeltherwaytothebuttonandpressed。Astheblazeoflightflashedon，shesteppedbackandcriedout。Itwasamere"Oh！"anditwasnotloud。

Facingher，alongsidethebutton，flatagainstthewall，wasaman。Inhishand，pointedtowardher，wasarevolver。Shenoticed，evenintheshockofseeinghim，thattheweaponwasblackandexceedinglylong—barreled。Sheknewblackandexceedinglylongitforwhatitwas，aColt’s。Hewasamedium—sizedman，roughlyclad，brown—eyed，andswarthywithsunburn。Heseemedverycool。Therewasnowabbletotherevolveranditwasdirectedtowardherstomach，notfromanoutstretchedarm，butfromthehip，againstwhichtheforearmrested。

"Oh，"shesaid。"Ibegyourpardon。Youstartledme。Whatdoyouwant？"

"IreckonIwanttogetout，"heanswered，withahumoroustwitchtothelips。"I’vekindoflostmywayinthishereshebang，andifyou’llkindlyshowmethedoorI’llcausenotroubleandsurevamoose。"

"Butwhatareyoudoinghere？"shedemanded，hervoicetouchedwiththesharpnessofoneusedtoauthority。

"Plainrobbing，Miss，that’sall。IcamesnoopingaroundtoseewhatIcouldgatherup。Ithoughtyouwan’ttohome，seein’asIsawyoupulloutwithyouroldmaninanauto。Ireckonthatmustabenyourpa，andyou’reMissSetliffe。"

Mrs。Setliffesawhismistake，appreciatedthenaivecompliment，anddecidednottoundeceivehim。

"HowdoyouknowIamMissSetliffe？"sheasked。

"ThisisoldSetliffe’shouse，ain’tit？"

Shenodded。

"Ididn’tknowhehadadaughter，butIreckonyoumustbeher。

Andnow，ifitain’tbotherin’youtoomuch，I’dsurebeobligedifyou’dshowmethewayout。"

"ButwhyshouldI？Youarearobber，aburglar。"

"IfIwan’tanorneryshorthornatthebusiness，I’dbeaccumulatin’themringsonyourfingersinsteadofbeingpolite，"heretorted。

"IcometomakearaiseoutaoldSetliffe，andnottoberobbingwomen—folks。Ifyougetoutatheway，IreckonIcanfindmyownwayout。"

Mrs。Setliffewasakeenwoman，andshefeltthatfromsuchamantherewaslittletofear。Thathewasnotatypicalcriminal，shewascertain。Fromhisspeechsheknewhewasnotofthecities，andsheseemedtosensethewider，homelierairoflargespaces。

"SupposeIscreamed？"shequeriedcuriously。"SupposeImadeanoutcryforhelp？Youcouldn’tshootme？……awoman？"

Shenotedthefleetingbafflementinhisbrowneyes。Heansweredslowlyandthoughtfully，asifworkingoutadifficultproblem。"Ireckon，then，I’dhavetochokeyouandmaulyousomebad。"

"Awoman？"

"I’dsurehaveto，"heanswered，andshesawhismouthsetgrimly。

"You’reonlyasoftwoman，butyousee，Miss，Ican’taffordtogotojail。No，Miss，Isurecan’t。There’safriendofminewaitin’formeoutWest。He’sinahole，andI’vegottohelphimout。"Themouthshapedevenmoregrimly。"IguessIcouldchokeyouwithouthurtingyoumuchtospeakof。"

Hereyestookonababystareofinnocentincredulityasshewatchedhim。

"Inevermetaburglarbefore，"sheassuredhim，"andIcan’tbegintotellyouhowinterestedIam。"

"I’mnotaburglar，Miss。Notarealone，"hehastenedtoaddasshelookedheramusedunbelief。"Itlookslikeit，mebeinghereinyourhouse。Butit’sthefirsttimeIevertackledsuchajob。Ineededthemoneybad。Besides，Ikindoflookonitlikecollectingwhat’scomingtome。"

"Idon’tunderstand，"shesmiledencouragingly。"Youcameheretorob，andtorobistotakewhatisnotyours。"

"Yes，andno，inthishereparticularcase。ButIreckonI’dbetterbegoingnow。"

Hestartedforthedoorofthedining—room，butsheinterposed，andaverybeautifulobstacleshemadeofherself。Hislefthandwentoutasiftogripher，thenhesitated。Hewaspatentlyawedbyhersoftwomanhood。

"There！"shecriedtriumphantly。"Iknewyouwouldn’t。"

Themanwasembarrassed。

"Iain’tnevermanhandledawomanyet，"heexplained，"anditdon’tcomeeasy。ButIsurewill，ifyousettoscreaming。"

"Won’tyoustayafewminutesandtalk？"sheurged。"I’msointerested。Ishouldliketohearyouexplainhowburglaryiscollectingwhatiscomingtoyou。"

Helookedatheradmiringly。

"Ialwaysthoughtwomen—folkswerescairtofrobbers，"heconfessed。"Butyoudon’tseemnone。"

Shelaughedgaily。

"Therearerobbersandrobbers，youknow。Iamnotafraidofyou，becauseIamconfidentyouarenotthesortofcreaturethatwouldharmawoman。Come，talkwithmeawhile。Nobodywilldisturbus。Iamallalone。My——fathercaughtthenighttraintoNewYork。Theservantsareallasleep。Ishouldliketogiveyousomethingtoeat——womenalwayspreparemidnightsuppersfortheburglarstheycatch，atleasttheydointhemagazinestories。ButIdon’tknowwheretofindthefood。

Perhapsyouwillhavesomethingtodrink？"

Hehesitated，anddidnotreply;butshecouldseetheadmirationforhergrowinginhiseyes。

"You’renotafraid？"shequeried。"Iwon’tpoisonyou，I

promise。I’lldrinkwithyoutoshowyouitisallright。"

"Yousureareasurprisepackageofallright，"hedeclared，forthefirsttimeloweringtheweaponandlettingithangathisside。"Noonedon’tneedtotellmeeveragainthatwomen—folksincitiesisafraid。Youain’tmuch——justalittlesoftprettything。Butyou’vesuregotthespunk。Andyou’retrustfulontopofit。Thereain’tmanywomen，ormeneither。

who’dtreatamanwithagunthewayyou’retreatingme。"

Shesmiledherpleasureinthecompliment，andherface，wasveryearnestasshesaid：

"ThatisbecauseIlikeyourappearance。Youaretoodecent—lookingamantobearobber。Yououghtn’ttodosuchthings。Ifyouareinbadluckyoushouldgotowork。Come，putawaythatnastyrevolverandletustalkitover。Thethingforyoutodoistowork。"

"Notinthisburg，"hecommentedbitterly。"I’vewalkedtwoinchesoffthebottomofmylegstryingtofindajob。Honest，Iwasafinelargemanonce……beforeIstartedlookingforajob。"

Themerrylaughterwithwhichshegreetedhissallyobviouslypleasedhim，andshewasquicktonoteandtakeadvantageofit。Shemoveddirectlyawayfromthedoorandtowardthesideboard。

"Come，youmusttellmeallaboutitwhileIgetthatdrinkforyou。Whatwillitbe？Whisky？"

"Yes，ma’am，"hesaid，ashefollowedher，thoughhestillcarriedthebigrevolverathisside，andthoughheglancedreluctantlyattheunguardedopendoor。

Shefilledaglassforhimatthesideboard。

"Ipromisedtodrinkwithyou，"shesaidhesitatingly。"ButI

don’tlikewhisky。I……Iprefersherry。"

Sheliftedthesherrybottletentativelyforhisconsent。

"Sure，"heanswered，withanod。"Whisky’saman’sdrink。I

neverliketoseewomenatit。Wine’smoretheirstuff。"

Sheraisedherglasstohis，hereyesmeltinglysympathetic。

"Here’stofindingyouagoodposition——"

Butshebrokeoffatsightoftheexpressionofsurpriseddisgustonhisface。Theglass，barelytouched，wasremovedfromhiswrylips。

"Whatisthematter！"sheaskedanxiously。"Don’tyoulikeit？

HaveImadeamistake？"

"It’ssurefunnywhisky。Tasteslikeitgotburnedandsmokedinthemaking。"

"Oh！Howsillyofme！IgaveyouScotch。Ofcourseyouareaccustomedtorye。Letmechangeit。"

Shewasalmostsolicitiouslymaternal，asshereplacedtheglasswithanotherandsoughtandfoundtheproperbottle。

"Better？"sheasked。

"Yes，ma’am。Nosmokeinit。It’ssuretherealgoodstuff。I

ain’thadadrinkinaweek。Kindofslick，that;oily，youknow;notmadeinachemicalfactory。"

"Youareadrinkingman？"Itwashalfaquestion，halfachallenge。

"No，ma’am，nottospeakof。IHAVEraredupandripsnortedatspells，butmostunfrequent。Butthereistimeswhenagoodstiffjoltlandsontherightspotkerchunk，andthisissureoneofthem。Andnow，thankingyouforyourkindness，ma’am，I’lljustbeapullingalong。"

ButMrs。Setliffedidnotwanttoloseherburglar。Shewastoopoisedawomantopossessmuchromance，buttherewasathrillaboutthepresentsituationthatdelightedher。Besides，sheknewtherewasnodanger。Theman，despitehisjawandthesteadybrowneyes，waseminentlytractable。Also，fartherbackinherconsciousnessglimmeredthethoughtofanaudienceofadmiringfriends。Itwastoobadnottohavethataudience。

"Youhaven’texplainedhowburglary，inyourcase，ismerelycollectingwhatisyourown，"shesaid。"Come，sitdown，andtellmeaboutithereatthetable。"

Shemaneuveredforherownseat，andplacedhimacrossthecornerfromher。Hisalertnesshadnotdesertedhim，asshenoted，andhiseyesrovedsharplyabout，returningalwayswithsmolderingadmirationtohers，butneverrestinglong。Andshenotedlikewisethatwhileshespokehewasintentonlisteningforothersoundsthanthoseofhervoice。Norhadherelinquishedtherevolver，whichlayatthecornerofthetablebetweenthem，thebuttclosetohisrighthand。

Buthewasinanewhabitatwhichhedidnotknow。ThismanfromtheWest，cunninginwoodcraftandplainscraft，witheyesandearsopen，tenseandsuspicious，didnotknowthatunderthetable，closetoherfoot，wasthepushbuttonofanelectricbell。Hehadneverheardofsuchacontrivance，andhiskeennessandwarinesswentfornaught。

"It’slikethis，Miss，"hebegan，inresponsetoherurging。

"OldSetliffedonemeupinalittledealonce。Itwasraw，butitworked。Anythingwillworkfullandlegalwhenit’sgotfewhundredmillionbehindit。I’mnotsquealin’，andIain’ttakingaslamatyourpa。Hedon’tknowmefromAdam，andI

reckonhedon’tknowhedonemeoutaanything。He’stoobig，thinkinganddealinginmillions，toeverhearofasmallpotatolikeme。He’sanoperator。He’sgotallkindsofexpertsthinkingandplanningandworkingforhim，someofthem，I

hear，gettingmorecashsalarythanthePresidentoftheUnitedStates。I’monlyoneofthousandsthathavebeendoneupbyyourpa，that’sall。

"Yousee，ma’am，Ihadalittleholeintheground——adinky，hydraulic，one—horseoutfitofamine。AndwhentheSetliffecrowdshookdownIdaho，andreorganizedthesmeltertrust，andropedintherestofthelandscape，andputthroughthebighydraulicschemeatTwinPines，whyIsuregotsqueezed。I

neverhadarunformymoney。Iwasscratchedoffthecardbeforethefirstheat。Andso，to—night，beingbrokeandmyfriendneedingmebad，Ijustdroppedaroundtomakearaiseoutayourpa。SeeingasIneededit，itkindawascomingtome。"

"Grantingallthatyousayisso，"shesaid，"neverthelessitdoesnotmakehouse—breakinganythelesshouse—breaking。Youcouldn’tmakesuchadefenseinacourtoflaw。"

"Iknowthat，"heconfessedmeekly。"What’srightain’talwayslegal。Andthat’swhyIamsouncomfortablea—settin’hereandtalkingwithyou。NotthatIain’tenjoyingyourcompany——I

suredoenjoyit——butIjustcan’taffordtobecaught。Iknowwhatthey’ddotomeinthisherecity。Therewasayoungfellowthatgotfiftyyearsonlylastweekforholdingamanuponthestreetfortwodollarsandeighty—fivecents。Ireadaboutitinthepaper。Whentimesishardandtheyain’tnowork，mengetdesperate。Andthentheothermenwho’vegotsomethingtoberobbedofgetdesperate，too，andtheyjustsuresoakittotheotherfellows。IfIgotcaught，IreckonI

wouldn’tgetamitelessthantenyears。That’swhyI’mhankeringtobeonmyway。"

"No;wait。"Sheliftedadetaininghand，atthesametimeremovingherfootfromthebell，whichshehadbeenpressingintermittently。"Youhaven’ttoldmeyournameyet。"

Hehesitated。

"CallmeDave。"

"Then……Dave，"shelaughedwithprettyconfusion。

"Somethingmustbedoneforyou。Youareayoungman，andyouarejustatthebeginningofabadstart。Ifyoubeginbyattemptingtocollectwhatyouthinkiscomingtoyou，lateronyouwillbecollectingwhatyouareperfectlysureisn’tcomingtoyou。Andyouknowwhattheendwillbe。Insteadofthis，wemustfindsomethinghonorableforyoutodo。"

"Ineedthemoney，andIneeditnow，"hereplieddoggedly。

"It’snotformyself，butforthatfriendItoldyouabout。

He’sinapeckoftrouble，andhe’sgottogethisliftnowornotatall。"

"Icanfindyouaposition，"shesaidquickly。"And——yes，theverything！——I’lllendyouthemoneyyouwanttosendtoyourfriend。Thisyoucanpaybackoutofyoursalary。"

"Aboutthreehundredwoulddo，"hesaidslowly。"Threehundredwouldpullhimthrough。I’dworkmyfingersoffforayearforthat，andmykeep，andafewcentstobuyBullDurhamwith。"

"Ah！Yousmoke！Ineverthoughtofit。"

Herhandwentoutovertherevolvertowardhishand，asshepointedtothetell—taleyellowstainonhisfingers。Atthesametimehereyesmeasuredthenearnessofherownhandandofhistotheweapon。Sheachedtogripitinoneswiftmovement。

Shewassureshecoulddoit，andyetshewasnotsure;andsoitwasthatsherefrainedasshewithdrewherhand。

"Won’tyousmoke？"sheinvited。

"I’m’mostdyingto。"

"Thendoso。Idon’tmind。Ireallylikeit——cigarettes，I

mean。"

Withhisleftbandhedippedintohissidepocket，broughtoutaloosewheat—strawpaperandshiftedittohisrighthandclosebytherevolver。Againhedipped，transferringtothepaperapinchofbrown，flakytobacco。Thenheproceeded，bothhandsjustovertherevolver，torollthecigarette。

"Fromthewayyouhoverclosetothatnastyweapon，youseemtobeafraidofme，"shechallenged。

"Notexactlyafraidofyou，ma’am，but，underthecircumstances，justamitetimid。"

"ButI’venotbeenafraidofyou。"

"You’vegotnothingtolose。"

"Mylife，"sheretorted。

"That’sright，"heacknowledgedpromptly，"andyouain’tbeenscairtofme。MebbeIamoveranxious。"

"Iwouldn’tcauseyouanyharm。"

Evenasshespoke，herslipperfeltforthebellandpressedit。Atthesametimehereyeswereearnestwithapleaofhonesty。

"Youareajudgeofmen。Iknowit。Andofwomen。Surely，whenIamtryingtopersuadeyoufromacriminallifeandtogetyouhonestworktodo……？"

Hewasimmediatelycontrite。

"Isurebegyourpardon，ma’am，"hesaid。"Ireckonmynervousnessain’tcomplimentary。"

Ashespoke，hedrewhisrighthandfromthetable，andafterlightingthecigarette，droppeditbyhisside。

"Thankyouforyourconfidence，"shebreathedsoftly，resolutelykeepinghereyesfrommeasuringthedistancetotherevolver，andkeepingherfootpressedfirmlyonthebell。

"Aboutthatthreehundred，"hebegan。"IcantelegraphitWestto—night。AndI’llagreetoworkayearforitandmykeep。"

"Youwillearnmorethanthat。Icanpromiseseventy—fivedollarsamonthattheleast。Doyouknowhorses？"

Hisfacelightedupandhiseyessparkled。