, 1923-06-06
CHAPTER TX

CHAPTER TX
Mutiny.
AS he sculled up alongside the Sa.
rah there was no sign of Jude. He
tied up the boat and came over the
rail.
Jude. where are your
What you want?' came a surly
voice from below.
"You."
"Well. you kin go on wantin'. I'm
sick of the hull of this crowd-wash-
ing up and cooking and you two
playin' about!"
Come up on deck"
"Sha'n't! I'm going to scatter
soon's I've finished clearing away
Life of a og!'-indistinct grumbles
failing away into silence.
He lit a pipe and waited.
Soon the cOmpanionway creaked
and a head appeared at the cabin
hatch. He said nothing while the
whole body emerged, stood erect on
the deck, and shaded its eyes toward
the Juan. Then. still speeches., IT
leaned on the rail, looking toward
the reef and apparently lost in
thought.
She seemed utterly unconscious of
his presence-Or pretending to be.
Then her eyes fell to the water along.
side and the dinghy. The whistling
raaSAl and har fagA frtrpnl 20 hin,
SAY" said Jude, where did you
learn to tie up boats?'
whats the matterT'
Nothing at present, but give her
half an hour and she'd work herself
free of that tomfool knot"
I'll go down and retie it."
mo use in troubling, I'm going of
in her IN a minute, and she'll hang
there till I'm ready"
"Where are you going?"
"Gulls-nesting."
ION the reef"
Lord, no! To the spit away
there to BASTARD. You can't see 1t:
it's near seven mile away"
But you can't row there alone"
Cant l? You bet l can. there and
back by shutdown"
"But what will Satan say?"
Jude laughed. He'll be wild
that's what l want to make him. I'll
learn him! Him and his jumpers!"
She took the jumper of the rail
rolled 1t up and threw 1t on the deck,
then she dived below and reappeared
with n water jar and some provisions
done up in a bundle. She had evil
IDENTIFY been making her preparations
Look here" said Radcliffe. "If
you're going, I'll go too"
mo. you won'tl' said Jude. You've
got to stick here and look after the
ship-and see how you like It,"
mot II couldn't face Satan; be
sides, If you want to make him wild
really, he'll be twice as wild II we
both go: besides. I'm sick of the ship
Come on: I've never been gulls-nest
ing"
Jude, evidently weakening, put
down her bundle.
swell, there amt enough grub for
two" she complained. ~ reckon
there's enough water, though"
"Well. get some more grub"
She cast her eyes about in indeci
sion. now at Radcliffe, now at the
Juan. then. with one Of those sudden
changes so Indicative Of her, she made
up her mind and dlved below.
Five minutes later she reappeapd
with another small bundle.
Radcliffe. during her absence, Ind
torn the back on nm old letter. IIt
had n pencil in his pocket. and. scrnwl
ing gone gulls-nesting on the sand
spit" on the paper, stuck the mlsslv'
to the mast with his penknlfe.
Then, bundllne the food and the
water jar into the dinghy, the,
started.
Radcliffe III his pipe. Jude, steer
ing, seemed to have forgotten her last
truce OF grudge against him. forgot
ten Satan and the jumper and her
desire TO cut the whole show and
nil her troubles, She seemed jusl
now n different person, co~mponlonablt
and friendly ,nnd sane, ms though the
cooking and cleaning and the wor
ries and troubles Of the Sarah hao
been lifted like n d~ish-cover from hei
-- .a.N