sed. He spoke in a commanding and vibrant bass voice.

It was suddenly borne in upon Martin's consciousness that he was in the
presence of a personality. They were immobile yellow gargoyles, those
two Japs who stood against the farther wall, they did not count. But
this man who stood across the table from him--the air of the room was
electric with his presence. A commanding and forceful personality, but
a hostile personality, there was a chill in that interruption. But the
momentum of his feelings carried Martin on.

"In the hall--shoving her along--she was struggling! A white girl!
Those yellow----"

"What is your business with me?" The heavy voice beat down Martin's
words. It was as if he had not spoken. "I am Captain Carew. You have
a message for me?"

Martin checked his splutter of words. The other's sentences were like
a dash of cold water; they cleared his mind. There was menace in that
heavy voice, in the other's attitude, in the frosty gleam of his eyes.
That veiled threat sobered Martin. He stood still and played his eyes
upon the other in appraisal.

And he was a picture to fill the eye, this man who bore himself so
disdainfully, this Captain Wild Bob Carew. Went glimmering the
graceless, blasphemous sea-renegade of Martin's fancy. Martin caught
his breath with unforced admiration as he measured the other's form and
face.

Captain Carew was big and blond, as Smatt had predicted. He was also
quite the handsomest man Martin had ever seen. He stood at least six
feet, and was leanly and finely built. He was, perhaps, thirty-five
years old, but the springiness of youth was still in his carriage.

Martin gained from him the impression of great physical strength. The
face was finely chiseled, virile, aristocratic, a face to compel men's
admiration, to turn women's heads. But Martin divined the flaw in that
fine mask. The full, curved lips were shaded by a short, blond
mustache, but that hirsute covering did not conceal the cruel quirk at
the lips' corners. The face was ruddy, even in that light, and
unlined. The eyes, probably blue in daylight, were black and
glittering; and they bore Martin's scrutiny without a flicker. But
after a moment the cruel lips curled scornfully.

"Well, my good fellow, have you quite finished with your inspection?"
said Carew. "I hope you have discovered nothing about my appearance
that displeases you."

The cavalier tone brought Martin to himself with a