hat happened to me?"

"Someone hit you with a wine bottle."

"A vintage--and I never got a swallow!"

"And then your father went to your defense."

"The old boy? Honestly?"

"He stood astride your body until Mr. Cunningham came in and stopped the
melee."

"Cunningham! They quit?"

"Yes--Flint. I didn't dream it wouldn't be safe to go on deck, and Flint
caught me. He was drunk. But for Cunningham, I don't know what would have
happened. I ran and left them fighting, and Flint wounded Cunningham with
a knife. It was for me, Denny. I feel so sorry for him! So alone, hating
himself and hating the world, tortured with misunderstanding--good in him
that he keeps smothering and trampling down. His unbroken word--to hang to
that!"

"All right. So far as I'm concerned, that cleans the slate."

"I loved you, Denny, but I didn't know how much until I saw you on the
floor. Do you know what I was going to demand of your father as a
reparation for bringing me on board? His hand in yours. That was all I
wanted."

"Always thinking of someone else!"

"That's all the happiness I've ever had, Denny--until now!"

CHAPTER XXI

A good deal of orderly commotion took place the following morning.
Cunningham's crew, under the temporary leadership of Cleve, proceeded to
make everything shipshape. There was no exuberance; they went at the
business quietly and grimly. They sensed a shadow overhead. The revolt of
the six discovered to the others what a rickety bridge they were crossing,
how easily and swiftly a jest may become a tragedy.

They had accepted the game as a kind of huge joke. Everything had been
prepared against failure; it was all cut and dried; all they had to do was
to believe themselves. For days they had gone about their various duties
thinking only of the gay time that would fall to their lot when they left
the _Wanderer_. The possibility that Cleigh would not proceed in the
manner advanced by Cunningham's psychology never bothered them until now.
Supposing the old man's desire for vengeance was stronger than his love
for his art objects? He was a fighter; he had proved it last night.
Supposing he put up a fight and called in the British to help him?

Not one of them but knew what the penalty would be if pursued and caught.
But Cunningham had persuaded them up to this hour that they would not even
be pursued; that it would not be humanly possible for Cleigh to surrender
the hope of eventually recovering h