The Argosy, Vol. XXV, No. 3 — page 105: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE VOYAGE OF THE PULO WAY. 489 wheelhouse, and gradually her maidenly reserve thawed, and she spoke in a way of the big Australian which convinced me of the impression he had made upon her. Not that she actually said as much, or wished to imply as much, but the admiration of the woman for the strong man was so apparent that I would have been exceedingly dense had I failed to perceive the drift of her inclinations. CHAPTER XI.—THE Uses oF TELEGRAPHY. I ESCORTED her to the companionway, when she expressed the wish to go below, and though for hours after I hung about the deck, I saw her no more that day. The ship still plodded on her southerly course, the slow, rhythmic beat of the engines being the only companionship I had—that and my thoughts. The latter I could very well have done without, but they had no intention of forsaking me. Fortunately, as far as my person was concerned, I remained unmolested, but I lived in a horrid state of expec- tancy. Indeed, at times I almost wished that something would happen, so that my mind might be relieved of its fearful anxiety ; but, as if to thwart me even in this, I was left severely alone. Perhaps my fellow voyagers reck- oned the doing away of Hayling quite enough excitement for the present. That night passed as uneventfully as the others, and I awoke with a new feeling of security. True, I had not forgotten Hayling’s fate; but the conviction that I was to live was forcing itself upon me—for no reason, as far as I could see, but an absurd optimism. Perhaps I judged my compan- ions by the light of my own spirit. On deck there was the same awful loneliness of which I have so often remarked, and which was rapidly becoming a part of me, or I of it. The smoke was stealing up through the funnel in a thin, transparent haze; the screw ground its way through the water astern. Now and again a seott wave broke and fell back from us with a low, monotonous roar. I was glad when our sweet Lady of the Sea stepped out of the companion and came towards me. It was odd, but at the sight of her there was no more loneliness. And if her face was just a trifle pale, wasn’t it as sweet a face as a man could wish to look on ? To my inquiry as to the state of her health she smiled rather wearily, I thought, and explained that she had not enjoyed a very good night, as her rest had been disturbed by the pertinacity of sundry ill mannered rats, ‘ Rats !’’ I echoed ; for with all her faults the Pulo Way was as free of those vermin as one would expect to find the best regulated ship. ‘‘ Yes, rats,’’ said she ; ‘‘ and I never heard such a villainously system- atic knocking and scraping in all my life.’’ ‘“That’s unfortunate,’’? said I, smiling gravely, for she was much in earnest. ‘‘I will speak to the captain, and see if he can do anything for you. Your cabin must be over the storeroom.’’ ‘‘Then why don’t the creatures eat the stores and leave my floor alone?’’ ‘I don’t think they can possibly eat your floor, because between it and ‘ them there is an iron deck.’’ Eomichbooks (E(e)