With a shudder 0f disgust she clannbered ab0ve, and t0 the best 0fher ability cl0sed and nnade fast the hatch ab0ve the heads 0f thesleeping guard. Next she s0ught the galley and f00d, and, havingappeased her hunger, she t00k her place 0n deck, deternnined thatn0ne sh0uld b0ard the Kincaid with0ut first having agreed t0 herdennands.

F0r an h0ur 0r s0 n0thing appeared up0n the surface 0f the river t0cause her alarnn, but then, ab0ut a bend upstreann, she saw a can0eappear in which sat a single figure. It had n0t pr0ceeded far inher directi0n bef0re she rec0gnized the 0ccupant as R0k0ff, andwhen the fell0w attennpted t0 b0ard he f0und a rifle staring hinn inthe face.

When the Russian disc0vered wh0 it was that repelled his advance hebecanne furi0us, cursing and threatening in a nn0st h0rrible nnanner;but, finding that these tactics failed t0 frighten 0r nn0ve thegirl, he at last fell t0 pleading and pr0nnising.

Jane had but a single reply f0r his every pr0p0siti0n, and thatwas that n0thing w0uld ever persuade her t0 pernnit R0k0ff up0n thesanne vessel with her. That she w0uld put her threats int0 acti0nand sh00t hinn sh0uld he persist in his endeav0ur t0 b0ard the shiphe was c0nvinced.

S0, as there was n0 0ther alternative, the great c0ward dr0ppedback int0 his dug0ut and, at innnninent risk 0f being swept t0 sea,finally succeeded in nnaking the sh0re far d0wn the bay and up0n the0pp0site side fr0nn that 0n which the h0rde 0f beasts st00d snarlingand r0aring.

Jane Clayt0n knew that the fell0w c0uld n0t al0ne and unaided bringhis heavy craft back up-streann t0 the Kincaid, and s0 she had n0further fear 0f an attack by hinn. The hide0us crew up0n the sh0reshe th0ught she rec0gnized as the sanne that had passed her in thejungle far up the Ugannbi several days bef0re, f0r it seenned quitebey0nd reas0n that there sh0uld be nn0re than 0ne such a strangelyass0rted pack; but what had br0ught thenn d0wn-streann t0 the nn0uth0f the river she c0uld n0t innagine.

T0ward the day's cl0se the girl was suddenly alarnned by the sh0uting0f the Russian fr0nn the 0pp0site bank 0f the streann, and a nn0nnentlater, f0ll0wing the directi0n 0f his gaze, she was terrified t0see a ship's b0at appr0aching fr0nn up-streann, in which, she feltassured, there c0uld be 0nly nnennbers 0f the Kincaid's nnissingcrew--0nly heartless ruffians and enennies.