Evening star., 1939-07-02
THIS WEEK MAGAZINE

tables; but not for Pierre. Neverthe-
less when, lust before time to start for
home, fog shut down on them again,
he was not greatly concerned. After
ALL he could not miss the whole Gaspe
peninsula, even in fog. His passen-
gers came struggling aboard when his
count showed fourteen, Pierre cast off
and started.
Twenty-Five minutes later land
loomed ahead, and Pierre felt family
proud that he had brought them so
neatly home. But then he recognized
Mr.. Patterson's landing stage from
which he had departed so short
while ago He had cruised in circle.
come back to his starting point!
Even as his cheek burned at this
fresh humiliation, one of the women
called shrllly: That's Mr.. Patterson's
wharf! We're lost again! Pierre, you
just put me ashorer'
SO Pierre made in to the landing;
but worse waited for him there.
Auguste's boat. with his party of six
and Regina still aboard, was tied up
at the little dock Pierre saw Auguste
grin, and then Mr.. Patterson came
down from his cottage to ask what the
matter was.
The next few minutes were for
Pierre completely ignomlnlous. His
passengers preferred to ride home with
Auguste, whom they knew Auguste
said yes, he would take them. he had
plenty of room. he would bring them
home in fifteen minutes. AS for Pierre,
well, if he wished to follow close be-
hind Auguste's boat, Auguste would
lead him home like a lost lamb.
Regina looked at Pierre expectantly.
If he had asked her to come with him,
if he had even declined Auguste's offer
of an ignominous guidance. she would
have sprung to his side; but Pierre was
thinking what he would do to Auguste
When tney ldnQeO.
"I'll be right behind you. Auguste,' -
he said; but Regina could not read the
violence in his words. so she stayed
where she was. sick in her heart.
When the two boats set out, it was
almost dark, and the fog was thick
curtain all around them. Pierre had no
intention of following Auguste. For
one thing Auguste's was the faster
boat, could quickly drop him behind.
But he found that the other man did
not seek to pull ahead so Pierre
swerved to take his own course.
Auguste, as he had done the day be-
fore, met that manoeuvre by veerlng
till he was Just in front of Pierre
again; and Pierre made no further
effort to escape his humiliation, Let
them once come ashore and Auguste
should have his lesson. Meanwhile.
when Auguste choked his motor,
Pierre, close astern, breathed stencil
of smoke and half-burned gas.
Someone in Augustes boat lighted
cigarette Pierre saw the match flare,
By and by the smoker sought to flick
the ash over the rail; but in the dark
ness he knocked off the burning coal.
Pierre did not see this. SO he had no
warning of what was about to happen.
They were halfway from the island to
the mainland. the nearest land long
mile away, when Auguste's boat sud-
denly began to glow in mysterious
illumination from below her gunwales.
The light increased almost as rapidly
as an explosion. Even over the roar
and cough of his own motor, Pierre
heard screams. Auguste's boat was
ablaze from stem to stern.
That bit of fire off the cigarette had
fallen into the bilge. The bilge was
foul with gasoline, and beneath the
floor boards there was gas vapor col
lected. Five seconds after the end of
the cigarette fell through the floor
cracks, flames were coming up through
those same cracks. and passengers
were scrambling up on the seats, up
on the bow, up on the stern, anywhere