upward and he groaned. He
caught his breath once or twice and sobbed. Then he was successful. I
could have thought him the old Wolf Larsen, and yet there was in his
movements a vague suggestion of weakness and indecision. He started for
the companion-way, and stepped forward quite as I had been accustomed to
see him do; and yet again, in his very walk, there seemed that suggestion
of weakness and indecision.

I was now concerned with fear for myself. The open trap lay directly in
his path, and his discovery of it would lead instantly to his discovery
of me. I was angry with myself for being caught in so cowardly a
position, crouching on the floor. There was yet time. I rose swiftly to
my feet, and, I know, quite unconsciously assumed a defiant attitude. He
took no notice of me. Nor did he notice the open trap. Before I could
grasp the situation, or act, he had walked right into the trap. One foot
was descending into the opening, while the other foot was just on the
verge of beginning the uplift. But when the descending foot missed the
solid flooring and felt vacancy beneath, it was the old Wolf Larsen and
the tiger muscles that made the falling body spring across the opening,
even as it fell, so that he struck on his chest and stomach, with arms
outstretched, on the floor of the opposite side. The next instant he had
drawn up his legs and rolled clear. But he rolled into my marmalade and
underclothes and against the trap-door.

The expression on his face was one of complete comprehension. But before
I could guess what he had comprehended, he had dropped the trap-door into
place, closing the lazarette. Then I understood. He thought he had me
inside. Also, he was blind, blind as a bat. I watched him, breathing
carefully so that he should not hear me. He stepped quickly to his
state-room. I saw his hand miss the door-knob by an inch, quickly fumble
for it, and find it. This was my chance. I tiptoed across the cabin and
to the top of the stairs. He came back, dragging a heavy sea-chest,
which he deposited on top of the trap. Not content with this he fetched
a second chest and placed it on top of the first. Then he gathered up
the marmalade and underclothes and put them on the table. When he
started up the companion-way, I retreated, silently rolling over on top
of the cabin.

He shoved the slide part way back and rested his arms on it, his body
still in the companion-way. His attitude was of o