that swam mistily in the blue haze to leeward.
The lieutenant peered after her; then turned sulkily to Marvin. "What is it you want?"
"Sir," Marvin said, "one of our men is sick. He needs looking after. I'd be obliged, sir, if he could have some attention."
The lieutenant thrust out his head, like a crane in a marsh pool at the sudden movement of a minnow. "Sick? What's the matter with him?"
"An aching chest," Marvin told him.
"Oh, indeed!" the lieutenant said. "What a pityl" He suddenly became bitter. "This is a war, you fooll We haven't the time to hold the hands of those with hangnails and bruised knees! A sore chest, for Ged's sakel D'you think I have so little fever among my own men that I must bother with malingering prisoners? Get back where you belong and take up no more of my time with your demned Yankee notional"
"Sir," Marvin persisted, "the food is bad and the water's worse. We're choking, all of us, and the bread's solid with weevils."
"Well, what of it?" the lieutenant exclaimed, in a passion. "Do you think we can draw up to a bread shop in mid-ocean and lay in a fresh supply?"
"No," Marvin said, "but you could put us aboard one of your prizes, where we'd be able to breathe. Why, you feed your hogs better than we're fed; yes, and treat them better too."
The lieutenant's lips tightened and he laughed unpleasantly. "I wonder," he said, "what England would do without America to point out her shortcomings! Let me tell you thisl You're like all the rest of your countrymen! You need a taste of the cat to improve your manners!"
There was a shout from the maintop. Losing all interest im Marvin, the lieutenant glared peevishly upward.
A seaman hung over the mamtop nettings. "Sail on the lee quarter, sirl" he bawled. "Astern the French schooner!"
Strope thumped his fist on the weather rail. "Be demned and be demned to that French tubl" he cried in a reedy voice. "Turn up all hands and about shipl There's a sail in chase of the Frenchmanl"
The waist of the brig straightway became a turmoil of thudding feet, shouted orders, the creaking of blocks and the shrilling of boatswains' whistles.
"Prisoners belowl" the lieutenant added. "Get 'em under hatches and be quick about itl"
CAPTAIN CAUTION 309
He went to the lee rail and placed his hand gently on Corunna's arm. She moved impatiently beneath his touch, and to Marvin there seemed to be a trace of moisture at the corner of her eye.
The lieutenant stared at her vacantly; then turned quickly and vanished into the companionway.
To Marvin, hemmed in by the turmoil of sweating seaman and grotesque marines, there was something crushed and forlorn about that figure on the quarter-deck a figure that seemed to droop and waver in the blinding glare. In one small fleeting moment, he knew, he would be forced once more into the filth and stench of the BeetlePs hold; and in his desperation he felt his heart must burst unless he could tell her how he grieved for her, and get from her in return just one word to cherish.
Hoping to be unnoticed in the tumult, he stepped beyond the mainmast. "Corunna," he said huskily, "Corunna - "
She turned a haggard face to him. Her drooping shoulders straightened. Her glance, hard and bitter, slipped past him to the mud-stained prisoners clambering from the long-boat; to the tall Indian, stooped with his wracking cough. Then her eyes stabbed sharply into his, and in them Marvin saw a look of terrible reproach and more terrible contempt a look that said, as clearly as any words, "You did thisl Cowardl"
"Corunna - " he said again huskily.
The butt of a musket struck him between the shoulders. "Garnl" the marine cried furiously. "Garn belowI"
Marvin stumbled forward, and Slade caught him by the arm. "Back to hell with us, eh?" the slaver captain said, and laughed. "You look like a man that's dead, and buried, too; but cheer up. There may be more than us in hell tonight, my boyl It's in my mind that something's coming down the wind and may
The lieutenant peered after her; then turned sulkily to Marvin. "What is it you want?"
"Sir," Marvin said, "one of our men is sick. He needs looking after. I'd be obliged, sir, if he could have some attention."
The lieutenant thrust out his head, like a crane in a marsh pool at the sudden movement of a minnow. "Sick? What's the matter with him?"
"An aching chest," Marvin told him.
"Oh, indeed!" the lieutenant said. "What a pityl" He suddenly became bitter. "This is a war, you fooll We haven't the time to hold the hands of those with hangnails and bruised knees! A sore chest, for Ged's sakel D'you think I have so little fever among my own men that I must bother with malingering prisoners? Get back where you belong and take up no more of my time with your demned Yankee notional"
"Sir," Marvin persisted, "the food is bad and the water's worse. We're choking, all of us, and the bread's solid with weevils."
"Well, what of it?" the lieutenant exclaimed, in a passion. "Do you think we can draw up to a bread shop in mid-ocean and lay in a fresh supply?"
"No," Marvin said, "but you could put us aboard one of your prizes, where we'd be able to breathe. Why, you feed your hogs better than we're fed; yes, and treat them better too."
The lieutenant's lips tightened and he laughed unpleasantly. "I wonder," he said, "what England would do without America to point out her shortcomings! Let me tell you thisl You're like all the rest of your countrymen! You need a taste of the cat to improve your manners!"
There was a shout from the maintop. Losing all interest im Marvin, the lieutenant glared peevishly upward.
A seaman hung over the mamtop nettings. "Sail on the lee quarter, sirl" he bawled. "Astern the French schooner!"
Strope thumped his fist on the weather rail. "Be demned and be demned to that French tubl" he cried in a reedy voice. "Turn up all hands and about shipl There's a sail in chase of the Frenchmanl"
The waist of the brig straightway became a turmoil of thudding feet, shouted orders, the creaking of blocks and the shrilling of boatswains' whistles.
"Prisoners belowl" the lieutenant added. "Get 'em under hatches and be quick about itl"
CAPTAIN CAUTION 309
He went to the lee rail and placed his hand gently on Corunna's arm. She moved impatiently beneath his touch, and to Marvin there seemed to be a trace of moisture at the corner of her eye.
The lieutenant stared at her vacantly; then turned quickly and vanished into the companionway.
To Marvin, hemmed in by the turmoil of sweating seaman and grotesque marines, there was something crushed and forlorn about that figure on the quarter-deck a figure that seemed to droop and waver in the blinding glare. In one small fleeting moment, he knew, he would be forced once more into the filth and stench of the BeetlePs hold; and in his desperation he felt his heart must burst unless he could tell her how he grieved for her, and get from her in return just one word to cherish.
Hoping to be unnoticed in the tumult, he stepped beyond the mainmast. "Corunna," he said huskily, "Corunna - "
She turned a haggard face to him. Her drooping shoulders straightened. Her glance, hard and bitter, slipped past him to the mud-stained prisoners clambering from the long-boat; to the tall Indian, stooped with his wracking cough. Then her eyes stabbed sharply into his, and in them Marvin saw a look of terrible reproach and more terrible contempt a look that said, as clearly as any words, "You did thisl Cowardl"
"Corunna - " he said again huskily.
The butt of a musket struck him between the shoulders. "Garnl" the marine cried furiously. "Garn belowI"
Marvin stumbled forward, and Slade caught him by the arm. "Back to hell with us, eh?" the slaver captain said, and laughed. "You look like a man that's dead, and buried, too; but cheer up. There may be more than us in hell tonight, my boyl It's in my mind that something's coming down the wind and may
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