er chair in the quietest corner of the
shady side of the deck. Gradually, as the next hour passed by, the
chairs around her were filled, until she sat hedged in, and hidden from
the passing glance. A book served as a screen, behind which she could
study her companions, and peer nervously at each newcomer. An hour
passed before Captain Bedford came in sight, looking taller, browner
than ever, in a loose white suit. Katrine spied him afar off, caught
the quick turn of his head, searching the rows of chairs, and
involuntarily bent lower to conceal her face from view. She kept her
head bent, the blood rising in her cheeks, until a child's cry, followed
by a general ripple of laughter from the surrounding throng, roused her
curiosity. She recognised the cry as coming from an urchin of three or
four years, a noisy, obstreperous morsel, especially abhorred by elderly
passengers, and raising her head beheld him swinging with clasped hand
from the end of Bedford's coat, his small fat feet kicking viciously at
the white trousered legs. The brilliant idea of annoying a new-comer
had occurred to the imp just at the moment when the Captain happened to
pass by, and for the moment the situation was his own. Only for a
moment; then a strong, lean hand detached his grasp, and lifting him as
lightly as a giant would lift a pigmy brought him round face to face.
Then the lookers-on beheld an amusing scene, as regarding him the while
with a calm, expressionless face, the big man taught the youngster a
lesson out of his own book. Gently, deliberately he swung him to and
fro by the tails of his own short coat, reversed him slowly, so that for
a breathless moment he dangled by his feet, balanced him by the chin,
tucked him under one arm, brought him out beneath the other, and finally
swung him over one shoulder, and dropped him lightly as a feather upon
the deck.

The urchin staggered against the gunwale, and gaped bewilderment. Up
till now, frowns and threats had been his only punishment, and to these
he was scornfully impervious. "They" were always "going to," but "they"
never "did." To provoke a storm of invective was the deliberate object
of his tricks; he pranced the deck during its delivery, rejoicing in his
triumph, but now for the first time he had met his master. He stood
staring, his fat face blank with surprise, while the onlookers chuckled
approval, seeing themselves avenged in this humiliation of a common
enemy.

As