Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-11-30


"How much, then?
"Five pun Ill have, no less. for
riskin' my life this day."
Impossible. | haven't got It."
In silence the man unshipped the till.
er and moved toward the cleats.
Hold on a minute"
Kirkwood unbuttoned his coat and,
freeing the chain from his waistcoat
buttonholes, removed his watch. AS
well abandon them altogether. He had
! designed to leave them as security
for the f2 and had delayed stating the
terms only for fear lest they be re-
fused. Now. too late. as ever. he rec
ognized his error. But surely, he
thought, 1t should be apparent even to
that low intelligence that the time
piece alone was worth more than the
boat itself.
"Will you take theseY he offered.
Take and keep them. Only set me
aboard that ship!"
Deliberately the fisherman weighed
the watch and chain In his broad, bard
palm, eyes narrowing to mere Sits In
his bronzed mask.
"How muchY he asked slowly.
Eighty pounds together. The chain
alone cost me twenty"
The shifty, covetous eyes ranged
from the treasure in his hand to the
threatening east. A puff Of wind
caught the sail and sent the boom
athwartships like mighty fail. Both
men ducked instinctively to escape n
Draining.
"How do l know?' objected the
skipper.
I'm telling you. II you've eyes you
can see," retorted Kirkwood savagely.
seeing that he had erred In telling the
truth. The amount he had named was
too great to be grasped at once by this
crude, cupidlnous brain.
How do / know?" the man repeat.
ed. Nevertheless he dropped watch
and chain into his pocket then, with Il
meaning grimace. extended again his
horny, greedy palm.
"What"-
"Hand over tn two pun and We'll go.'
"I'll see you hanged first"
ashore We 60" He pronounced hi
ultimatum, motloning Kirkwood to en-
ter the boat.
The American turned. looking fci
the Alethea or for the vessel that he
believed bore that name. She was
nearing the lishtship when he foU::d
aer, and as he looked squall blurred
the air between them. blCtti;l: tn
brigantine out with a smudge Of rain
The effect was as II she had vanished.
ms II she were forever Snatchcd from
his grasp, and with Dorothy aboard
her-heaven alone knew I'm what need
Of him!
Mute and blind with despair and
wrath. he turned upon the man AID
taught him by the collar, fOrcia. him
out over the lip Of the overhang They
were unevenly matched, KirkwOcd far
the sighter. but strength came to HIN
In the crisis. physical strength ard 80.
dress such as he had not dreamed were
at his command. And the surprise Of
his onslaught proved an ally of un-
guessed potency. Before he himself
knew II he was standing on the over
hang and had shifted his hold 70 seiz"
the fellow about the waist; then. lift
Ing him clear Of the deck and aide0
by the lurch Of the catboat. he cast
him bodily into the dOry. The man.
falling. struck his head against one OF
The thwarts-a glancing blow that
stunned him temporarily. Kirkwood
himself dropped as II shot, Il trailing
reef point slapping his cheek until 1t
stung as the boom thrashed overhead.
1t was as close call rs he had known.
The knowledge sickened him little.
Without rising he worked the paint
er loose and cast the dory adrift then
crawled back into the cockpit. No
pang of compassion disturbed him as
he abandoned the fisherman to the
mercy Of the sea- Though the fellow
lay still. uncouthly distorted, in the
bottom Of the dory. he was In no dan.
ger. The wind and waves together
would carry the boat ashore. For that
matter. the man was even then re-
covering. struggling to sit up.
Crouching to avoid the boom, Kirk
wood went forward to the bows and.
grasping the mOOring cable, drew 1t In.
slipping back into the cockpit to get
stronger purchase with his feet. II
was C struggle. The boat pulled slug
gishly against the wind the cable inch
Ing in jealously. And behind him he
could hear voice believing inarticu-
late menaces and knew that in another
moment the fisherman would be at his
oars.
| Frantically he tugged and tore at the
Shiny rope, hauling with Will and
prayer. 1t gave more readily toward
the end, but he seemed to have fought
with It. for ages when Mt last the an.
chor tripped and he got 1t In.
Immediately he leaped back to thc
stern, fitted In the tiller and, seizinr
the mainsheet drew the boom In IT,
the wind should catch In the canvas
In the dory the skipper. bending Mt hi
oars was not two yards nStern.
He was hard aboaS when, the sal
filling with a bang. Klrkwood pullcd
the tiller up, and the catboat siid away.
dozen feet separating them In
breath.
A yell Of rage doomed down thr
wind, but he paid no heed. Careless
alike Of the dangers he had passed and
those that yawned before him, he
trimmed the sheet and stood away on
the port tack, heading directly for the
More llghtship.
| CHAPTER XVI.
Y EANING against the combing. feet
| braced upon the slippery anc
treacherous deck, Kirkwood clune
IL to tiller and mainsheet and peer
I'd ahead with anxious eyes, a puckeI
Of daring craven deep between bis
brows.
A mile to westward, three or more
ahead. he could see the brigantine
standing close in under the Essex
shore. At times she was invisible
Again he could catch merely the CLINT
Of her canvas, white against the darl.
gloom Of the littoral. toned by a mist
Of flying sp'ndrift. He strained bis
eyes. watching for the chance which
would take place in the rake Of her
masts and sails when she should come