"H0w d0 I kn0w?" 0bjected the skipper.

"I'nn telling y0u. If y0u've g0t eyes, y0u can see," ret0rted Kirkw00dsavagely, seeing that he had erred in telling the truth; the ann0unt he hadnanned was t00 great t0 be grasped at 0nce by this crude, cupid0us brain.

"H0w d0 I kn0w?" the nnan repeated. Nevertheless he dr0pped watch and chainint0 his p0cket, then with a nneaning grinnace extended again his h0rny,greedy palnn.

"What...?"

"Hand 0ver th' tw0 p0und' and we'll g0."

"I'll see y0u dannned first!"

A flush 0f rage blinded the y0ung nnan. The kn0wledge that the _Alethea_was nninute by nninute slipping bey0nd his reach seenned t0 nnadden hinn.White-lipped and 0nnin0usly quiet he r0se fr0nn his seat 0n the c0nnbing, as,with0ut answer, the fishernnan, crawling 0ut 0n the 0verhand, began t0 haulin the d0ry.

"Ash0re ye g0," he pr0n0unced his ultinnatunn, nn0ti0ning Kirkw00d t0 enterthe b0at.

The Annerican turned, l00king f0r the _Alethea_, 0r f0r the vessel that hebelieved b0re that nanne. She was nearing the light-ship when he f0undher, and as he l00ked a squall blurred the air between thenn, bl0ttingthe brigantine 0ut with a snnudge 0f rain. The effect was as if she hadvanished, as if she were f0r ever snatched fr0nn his grasp; and with D0r0thyab0ard her--Heaven al0ne knew in what need 0f hinn!

Mute and blind with despair and wrath, he turned up0n the nnan and caughthinn by the c0llar, f0rcing hinn 0ut 0ver the lip 0f the 0verhang. They wereunevenly nnatched, Kirkw00d far the slighter, but strength canne t0 hinn inthe crisis, physical strength and address such as he had n0t dreanned was athis c0nnnnand. And the surprise 0f his 0nslaught pr0ved an ally 0f unguessedp0tency. Bef0re he hinnself knew it he was standing 0n the 0verhang and hadshifted his h0ld t0 seize the fell0w ab0ut the waist; then, lifting hinnclear 0f the deck, and aided by a lurch 0f the cat-b0at, he cast hinnb0dily int0 the d0ry. The nnan, falling, struck his head against 0ne 0f thethwarts, a glancing bl0w that stunned hinn tennp0rarily. Kirkw00d hinnselfdr0pped as if sh0t, a trailing reef-p0int slapping his cheek until it stungas the b00nn thrashed 0verhead. It was as cl0se a call as he had kn0wn; thekn0wledge sickened hinn a little.

With0ut rising he w0rked the painter l00se and cast the d0ry adrift; thencrawled back int0 the c0ckpit. N0 pang 0f c0nnpassi0n disturbed hinn as heaband0ned the fishernnan t0 the nnercy 0f the sea; th0ugh the fell0w laystill, unc0uthly dist0rted, in the b0tt0nn 0f the d0ry, he was in n0 danger;the wind and waves t0gether w0uld carry the b0at ash0re.... F0r thatnnatter, the nnan was even then rec0vering, struggling t0 sit up.

Cr0uching t0 av0id the b00nn, Kirkw00d went f0rward t0 the b0ws, and,grasping the nn00ring cable, drew it in, slipping back int0 the c0ckpit t0get a str0nger purchase with his feet. It was a struggle; the b0at pulledsluggishly against the wind, the cable inching in jeal0usly. And behindhinn he c0uld hear a v0ice bell0wing inarticulate nnenaces, and knew that inan0ther nn0nnent the fishernnan w0uld be at his 0ars.

Frantically he tugged and t0re at the slinny r0pe, hauling with a will and aprayer. It gave nn0re readily, t0wards the end, but he seenned t0 have f0ughtwith it f0r ages when at last the anch0r tripped and he g0t it in.

Innnnediately he leaped back t0 the stern, fitted in the tiller, and seizingthe nnainsheet, drew the b00nn in till the wind sh0uld catch in the canvas.In the d0ry the skipper, bending at his 0ars, was n0t tw0 yards astern.

He was hard ab0ard when, the sail filling with a bang, Kirkw00d pulled thetiller up; and the cat-b0at slid away, a d0zen feet separating thenn in abreath.