d her tongue, and she obeyed, thoroughly cowed by his roughness. She
turned upon her side and swam with her face close to his, her eyes fixed
upon him curiously, wonderingly. Her easy progress through the water
showed that her fright had largely vanished, and showed likewise that,
had the Haytian been no uncommon swimmer himself, she might have
distanced him. All the way out to the boat she stared at him with that
same fixed look, maintaining her position at his side. The moon and the
salt brine in his eyes played him tricks, else he might have fancied her
to be half smiling, as if in some strange exaltation akin to his own.

Not until he finally dragged her, panting, to the deck of the
_Espirita_, and her white-clad figure stood out clearly from the shore,
did her tribesmen realize the nature of the alarm. Then the vibrant
turmoil suddenly stilled for the space of a full minute while the
enormity of the outrage made itself felt. They drew together at the edge
of the sea, staring open-mouthed, amazed, before they raised their
blood-cry.

The man and woman rested a moment, their eyes upon the shore, and where
they stood twin pools of water blackened the deck. Then Inocencio turned
to look upon his prey. The girl's flimsy cotton shift was molded to her
figure, and he saw that she was even fairer than he had pictured. In
spite of his need for haste, he paused to gloat upon the favor the moon
and the salt sea had rendered him. As for her, she flung his glance back
bravely until he wrenched open the cabin hatch and pointed to the dark
interior. Then she weakened. But she had a will of her own, it seemed,
for she refused to be locked inside. He strode toward her, and she
clutched the rigging desperately, turning her glance to one of appeal.

"You may come up in a moment," he translated, but still she clung to the
stay. "If you try to escape--" He scowled upon her terribly, at which
she shook her head. Having already tasted her strength, he knew there
was no time to force her, so he leaped at his crew.

The three blacks were snoring forward of the deck-house, so he seized a
bucket of water at the rail and sluiced them into wakefulness, keeping
his eye upon the girl meanwhile. When he saw that in truth she made no
move he let his caution slip and raged over the ship like a tiger,
beating his half-clad crew ahead of him with the flat of his machete. By
the time they had gained their wits the tribesmen were massing at the
cano