hat zone. Without adequate navigation instruments, Mr. Mott was forced to rely to a great extent on speculation. He was able to make certain calculations with reasonable accuracy, but they were of li
h South Georgia and the Sandwich group farther to the so
ing the gentlest wave, submissive to the whim of the slightest breeze. The ship's carpenter and his men were making slow headway in the well-nigh impossible task of repairing the rudder. Attempts were being made to rig up makeshift sails to replace those licked from the supplemental spars by flames that had earned
de but little impression on the waiting, watchful survivors. Each succeeding day brought forth additional watchers to swell the anxious throng,-resolu
the unholy fear that they might be left to their f
cloudless sky with searching, anxious eyes. They sniffed the steady wind tha
repeated Captain Trigger, aft
this to last for weeks,
id the Captain grimly. "But we'
ip of a flouting wind. The two patchwork sails on the lumbering Doraine flapped noisily for awhile, as if shaking off their tor-por, then suddenly grew taut and fat with prosperity. The twi
e world. The man of the sea could look far beyond the horizon. He could see the ugly clouds that were even now speeding down from the north, invisible as yet but soon to creep into view; he could see the mighty billows on the other side of that distant line; he could hear the roar and shriek of the
ally strove, it would seem, to outrace the baleful clouds. Then the Doraine was in the thic
she remained afloat, battered, smashed, raked from stem to stern, stripped of everything the tempest could wrench from her in its fury. And yet on the third day, when the storm
in the hold. The shi
smiling, dancing sea of blue under a canopy clean and spotless. It was unbelievable. Even the stouthea
d in a bewildered sort of way. "I can't understand how she did it. By right, she o
od, Mr. Mott?" asked
n a long time coming to it, Captain Trigger, but I do. Nothing short o
ly, his gaze fixed on something
sk of Him, though," said he,
been thinking of the
ined about two feet on th
ely on the three lifeboats still hanging above the starboard rail. There was another being repaired on the port side
hat God would see us safely through all we've had to tackle and then desert us in the end. Something's bound to turn up
mediately. It's true God has helped us through a lot, but it strikes me we'd better be on the safe side and help God a little at this stage of the g
no questions, for they were afraid of the answers. Sick, dazed, haggard, they stared hopelessly, drearily out over the water; for all tha
that something was "sure to turn up." They knew that water was coming into the hold; they knew that there were but four lifeboats and seven hundred men and women
lling him to risk what he considered a very precious life in a successful effort to drag her back to safety. As a matter of fact, he did not drag her back to safety. That feat was accomplished by two sailors who m
him to disobey orders by going out to save her. He did not mutter his complaints. He told her in plain and
she left Petrograd,-and that was four years ago. She had been cursed often enough by her own sex,-professionally, of course,-but t
one of the principal dancers in her land. Teachers had cu
nineteen when he died, quite suddenly. There was a dark rumour that she had poisoned him. True or false, the rumour persisted, and she soon became one of the most popular dancers in the Empi
sia." Paris and London had treated her kindly, courteously, but that was to be expected, she repined, because all of the real men were off at the front fighting. Instead of being scowled at and ordered about by managers and orchestra leaders, or b
n Francisco. The Americans, she had heard, were the worst of them all. They didn't know the first thing about the
apologized a little later on, and had blushed quite becomingly in doing so, but nothing,-nothing in the world,-would ever make her believe that he was not the sort of man who could be depended upon to put a woman in her place and keep her there. He might apologize until he was black in the face and still be unable to take back the words he ha
ar dances, she appeared as a nymph, barefooted, bare-legged, and,-as Mrs. Spofford caustically remarked,-bare-faced. She possessed the marvellously clear, colourless
st trace of the carnal was left. Every move, every thought, every impulse was feminine; her imagination was feminine; she cast the spell of h
ith him, and once, just before the storm set in, she had paused to watch the young American girl renew the bandages on his hands after dressing the burns. Half an hour after he had apologized for speaking so roughly to her, she decided that it was her duty to hunt him up and minister to him. The ship w
were in the room, manfully defying the turmoil that had sent nearly every one else to bed in terror and distress. Without hesitation the
WIND
her work. Her smile was po
essel. She spoke the English language confidently and well. Her accent, which was scarcely noticeable, betrayed the fact that she had mastered French long be
he went on, addressing the girl. "Those poor hand!
" gasped Mi
from the horrible death? From the Kingdom Come, as the doctor he say to me such a little time ago. And you, Mademoise
osky," said the other, coldly. "I have don
, smiling. "You must not be offend wit
ak it most acceptably,
y. "I have heard you called the stowaw
s Percival
rely you do not approve of me to call you Percival
been a servant in the family for at least one generation if you stick it on. If you could only call me Monsieur Percival, or Sen
l. She smiled up at the puzzled dancer. "His name is Mr. Per
you, Mademoiselle, may
ot call him
a very short time," explaine
hed the bandaging process in silence
, Mademoiselle. I am taking a
home again, I shall prepare myself at once for work in France. We are needed over there. We will be n
y gave her a
you? Voila! When you train a boy to be a soldier, as the boys are trained in my country and in Germany, you make an animal of him,-and not a very nice animal
Percival stared at the Russian
say that of the French
aid coolly, as if there were nothing more to be said on the subject. "Please, Mademoiselle," she went on, briskly
, you mean, M
ess them, then you dre
aughed. The wo
e left hand. You may watch
t make you
mbarrassed?" inqui
," lamented the other. "Ner
id Percival. "All red and blistery and greasy.
"Have you ever seen a little Jewish girl,-but no, Mademoiselle, no! I have catch the look in you
ver and the bottle containing ointment had been restored to
gauze bandages are to be obtained, Miss Clinto
id, she ordered her to apply to the ship's surge
Why should you, a great hulking beast of a woman, be dying every minute o
r eyes, "I shall be dashed to pieces against the wall
excuse. My legs ma
egs I am speaking of. My
her mistress, and the ungainly m
them. The increasing fury of the storm had driven all save the hardiest sailors and a few of the non-praying male passengers to their rooms. Now and then one or two of the courageous, devoted nurses appeared in the corrido
ed men. Their faces were grave,-more serious than ever. They had been down to investigate the leak. Percival was stripped to the w
ith me the bandages." She sent a swift glance over him, and smiled. "B
t of tan. His companions stared
Then a sense of loyalty to the girl who had been kind to him impelled him to add: "Beside
owes so little to you and I so much. Come, le
"You can't g
, in surprise. "Does not Mis
he doe
other men who are wounded. I
ent. They can'
earchingly i
ter a moment. "You a
" he exclaim
your hands. I see, my friend. Voila
for the world have her feel that I am not grateful, and that's exactly what i
puzzled look in her dar
or interfere,"
. He was conscious of the abrupt
, lifting her chin. "
y good of you. Please don't think me ungra
ddenly her eyes widened. "Is it because I dance in my ba
of you, Madame Obosky. I wasn't even aware
Obosky dance?" she
ev
ve not had ze pleasure of seeing me, Mr. Percivail, you do not either covet me or despise me. That is fine. It is good to know that you do not despise me." Observing the expre
p, quick look into her eyes, however, he came to the conclusion that she was absolutely sincere. So far as she was con
ress the hope that both of us may go on to the end of
t, and then favoured him with
IND DR
when we are very old people and very old friends I may then be permitted to bandage your hands. At present, however, the risk is too great, eh? I a
kery in her eyes.
e have been looking things over down belo
ed off. She swung
er, Mr. Percivail?" s
omething that will have to
means it is
. She righted herself promptly, but did not reveal
ing of fear. Don't you realize, Madame Obosky, that we are in the gravest peri
f fear. I am afraid of rats and snakes and thieves-and drunken soldiers. I am afra
, I don't mind confessing that I'm scared half to death
going down to the bottom of zis dreadful ocean. But we are not. I have no fear. We shall come out all right on top,
deuce do you manage to keep your f
my feet. In my profession, one must do both. You will always find me doing that. Good-bye,-we part he
e wall some distance away. She sat up but did not at once attempt to arise. Instead she clutched frantically at her skirt to draw it down over her shapely ankles and calves. In the lantern light he saw the dismayed, shamed look
people every night! Can you beat it! The last person in the world you'd think would care a whoop,
took himself off in the direction of the Captain's quarters,-