an's throat. He had no mind for a scuffle which would attract
attention, nor did he wish the man when he dropped overboard to fall too
near his raft; so, with his finger to the man's windpipe, he bore him
along the passageway toward the stern of the ship. The tide was setting
that way. The man was kicking out with both legs, striking out with his
free hand. Cadogan held the man's arm over the rail the while he twisted
the pistol wrist. The revolver dropped overboard. Cadogan took a fresh
hold of him, spun around with him, and let him fly. He went where the
revolver went.

Cadogan, arrived back at his raft, found a man standing by the falls and
calling down to somebody below: "How is it now?"

There was no answer. The man by the falls repeated his question. Only
silence from below.

Cadogan was looking for his coat, when the man grasped the falls and
swiftly lowered himself over the side. Cadogan let be his coat and slid
down the falls after him. His feet fetched up against the man's fingers.
He pressed with all his weight. The man cursed softly, let go his hold,
and fell into the sea. Cadogan dropped after him. When the man came up
Cadogan gripped him by the throat and held him under water.

The dim outline of another fellow was standing erect on the end of the
little raft. "Norrie, me lad," he was saying in a cold voice, "it's a
tidy little floater with nice warm blankets, but it will never hold up
two." Cadogan could see a long spanner, or bar, held ready on the
shoulder of the man on the raft. The man in the water was now twining
his legs about him, whereupon, still clinging to his man, Cadogan dived,
porpoise-like, head down into the sea. When he felt his feet under he
kicked once, twice, three times powerfully. Deep down he went.

He came up alone.

He clung to one of the hooks of the falls to get his breath. A cap
floated up to him. Smiling grimly, he set it on his head. The man on the
end of the raft poised himself above him and aimed the long spanner at
the cap. Cadogan diverted the blow with his free forearm, and before the
other could recover wrenched the spanner from him and dropped it into
the sea.

"Oh, ho! that's how it is, is it, Norrie, me lad?" He swung one foot
viciously at Cadogan's hand where it was gripped around the hook.
Cadogan swooped again with his free hand, caught the man by the swinging
ankle, and hauled him off the raft. He released his grip of the man's
ankle, only to shift it to h