But that," thought
he, "is only her place, as I've just been hearing." He had a just mind
and was slow to suspect. Even now he could not assimilate the poison of
Mr Philp's story. Everybody knew Mr Philp and his propensities.
As Mr Toy the barber was wont to say, "Philp don't mean any harm: he
just makes mischief like a bee makes honey."

So Cai said, "Cheer-o, 'Bias!"--his usual greeting--hoped he saw Mrs
Bosenna well, and fell in on the other side of her by the breast-rail.
The sky by this time was almost pitch dark, with a star or two shining
between somewhat heavy masses of clouds. He begged Mrs Bosenna to be
sure that she was comfortably anchored, as he put it. The rail was
stout and secure; she might lean her weight against it without fear.
He went on to apologise for his late arrival. The Committee Ship had
been at sixes and sevens all day.

"Nobody could have guessed it, from the shore," said Mrs Bosenna
graciously, and appealed to 'Bias. "Coming through the town I heard it
on all hands."

"Not so bad," agreed 'Bias, and this, from him, was real praise.

"'Not a hitch from first to last--the most successful Regatta we've had
for years.' Those were the very expressions that reached me."

"We'll do better next time," Cai assured her, swallowing down the
flattery. "Believe it or not, I had trouble enough to keep things
straight; and being one to fret when they're not ship-shape--"

"_I_ know!" murmured Mrs Bosenna sympathetically. "You could not bear
to come away until you'd seen everything through. Well, as it happens,
there are people in Troy who recognise this; and it does me good to hear
you talk about 'next time.' Though, to be sure, one can't count next
time on such perfect weather."

"There'll be rain in half an hour or less," grunted 'Bias.

"Oh, not before the fireworks, surely?" she exclaimed in pretty dismay.
"Do say, now, Captain Hocken!"

She turned to Cai, and then--

"Oh--oh!" she cried as, far away up the harbour, the signal rocket shot
hissing aloft and exploded with a tremendous detonation. The roar of it
filled their ears; but Cai scarcely heeded the roar. It reverberated
from shore to shore, and the winding creeks took it up, to re-echo it;
but Cai did not hear the echoes.

For (it was no fancy!) a small hand had clutched at his arm out of the
darkness and was clinging to it, trembling, for protection. . . . Yes,
it trembled there yet! . . . He put a hand over it, to r