himself with fierce effort, "I'll go, sir--I'll go!"

"And where to?" Saltash's eyes were no longer derisive; they held
something that very few had ever seen there.

Toby made a quick gesture of the hands, and dropped them flat at his
sides. "I'll get rid of myself--then, sir," he said, with sudden chill
pride. "That won't be very difficult. And I'll do it--so that you won't
even know."

Saltash stood up abruptly. "Toby, you are quite unique!" he said. "Superb
too in your funny little way. Your only excuse is that you're young. Does
it never occur to you that you've attached yourself to the wrong person?"

"No, sir," breathed Toby.

"You're not afraid to stake all you've got on a bad card?" pursued
Saltash, still curiously watching him.

"No, sir," he said again; and added with his faint, unboyish smile, "I
haven't much to lose anyway."

Saltash's hand tightened upon him. He was smiling also, but the gleam in
his eyes had turned to leaping, fitful flame. "Well," he said slowly, "I
have never yet refused--a gift from the gods."

And there he stopped, for suddenly, drowning all speech, there arose a
din that seemed to set the whole world rocking; and in a moment there
came a frightful shock that pitched them both headlong to the floor.

Saltash fell as a monkey falls, catching at one thing after another to
save himself, landing eventually on his knees in pitch darkness with one
hand still gripped upon Toby's thin young arm. But Toby had struck his
head against a locker and had gone down stunned and helpless.

The din of a siren above them filled the world with hideous clamour as
Saltash recovered himself. "Damn them!" he ejaculated savagely. "Do they
want to deafen us as well as send us to perdition?"

Then very suddenly it stopped, leaving a void that was instantly filled
with lesser sounds. There arose a confusion of voices, of running feet, a
hubbub of escaping steam, and a great rush of water.

Saltash dragged himself up in the darkness, sought to drag Toby also,
found him a dead weight, stooped and lifted him with wiry strength.
He trod among broken glass and plates as he straightened himself. The
noise above them was increasing. He flung the limp form over his shoulder
and began desperately to claw his way up a steep slant towards the
saloon-door and the companion-way. Sound and instinct guided him, for the
darkness was complete. But he was not the man to die like a trapped
animal while the most slender