West Wind Drift

hat zone. Without adequate navigation instruments, Mr. Mott was forced to rely to a great extent on speculation. He was able to make certain calculations with reasonable accuracy, but they were of li

h South Georgia and the Sandwich group farther to the so

ing the gentlest wave, submissive to the whim of the slightest breeze. The ship's carpenter and his men were making slow headway in the well-nigh impossible task of repairing the rudder. Attempts were being made to rig up makeshift sails to replace those licked from the supplemental spars by flames that had earned

de but little impression on the waiting, watchful survivors. Each succeeding day brought forth additional watchers to swell the anxious throng,-resolu

the unholy fear that they might be left to their f

cloudless sky with searching, anxious eyes. They sniffed the steady wind tha

repeated Captain Trigger, aft

this to last for weeks,

id the Captain grimly. "But we'

ip of a flouting wind. The two patchwork sails on the lumbering Doraine flapped noisily for awhile, as if shaking off their tor-por, then suddenly grew taut and fat with prosperity. The twi

e world. The man of the sea could look far beyond the horizon. He could see the ugly clouds that were even now speeding down from the north, invisible as yet but soon to creep into view; he could see the mighty billows on the other side of that distant line; he could hear the roar and shriek of the

ally strove, it would seem, to outrace the baleful clouds. Then the Doraine was in the thic

she remained afloat, battered, smashed, raked from stem to stern, stripped of everything the tempest could wrench from her in its fury. And yet on the third day, when the storm

in the hold. The shi

smiling, dancing sea of blue under a canopy clean and spotless. It was unbelievable. Even the stouthea

d in a bewildered sort of way. "I can't understand how she did it. By right, she o

od, Mr. Mott?" asked

n a long time coming to it, Captain Trigger, but I do. Nothing short o

ly, his gaze fixed on something

sk of Him, though," said he,

been thinking of the

ined about two feet on th

ely on the three lifeboats still hanging above the starboard rail. There was another being repaired on the port side

hat God would see us safely through all we've had to tackle and then desert us in the end. Something's bound to turn up

mediately. It's true God has helped us through a lot, but it strikes me we'd better be on the safe side and help God a little at this stage of the g

no questions, for they were afraid of the answers. Sick, dazed, haggard, they stared hopelessly, drearily out over the water; for all tha

that something was "sure to turn up." They knew that water was coming into the hold; they knew that there were but four lifeboats and seven hundred men and women

lling him to risk what he considered a very precious life in a successful effort to drag her back to safety. As a matter of fact, he did not drag her back to safety. That feat was accomplished by two sailors who m

him to disobey orders by going out to save her. He did not mutter his complaints. He told her in plain and

she left Petrograd,-and that was four years ago. She had been cursed often enough by her own sex,-professionally, of course,-but t

one of the principal dancers in her land. Teachers had cu

nineteen when he died, quite suddenly. There was a dark rumour that she had poisoned him. True or false, the rumour persisted, and she soon became one of the most popular dancers in the Empi

sia." Paris and London had treated her kindly, courteously, but that was to be expected, she repined, because all of the real men were off at the front fighting. Instead of being scowled at and ordered about by managers and orchestra leaders, or b

n Francisco. The Americans, she had heard, were the worst of them all. They didn't know the first thing about the

apologized a little later on, and had blushed quite becomingly in doing so, but nothing,-nothing in the world,-would ever make her believe that he was not the sort of man who could be depended upon to put a woman in her place and keep her there. He might apologize until he was black in the face and still be unable to take back the words he ha

ar dances, she appeared as a nymph, barefooted, bare-legged, and,-as Mrs. Spofford caustically remarked,-bare-faced. She possessed the marvellously clear, colourless

st trace of the carnal was left. Every move, every thought, every impulse was feminine; her imagination was feminine; she cast the spell of h

ith him, and once, just before the storm set in, she had paused to watch the young American girl renew the bandages on his hands after dressing the burns. Half an hour after he had apologized for speaking so roughly to her, she decided that it was her duty to hunt him up and minister to him. The ship w

were in the room, manfully defying the turmoil that had sent nearly every one else to bed in terror and distress. Without hesitation the

WIND

her work. Her smile was po

essel. She spoke the English language confidently and well. Her accent, which was scarcely noticeable, betrayed the fact that she had mastered French long be

he went on, addressing the girl. "Those poor hand!

" gasped Mi

from the horrible death? From the Kingdom Come, as the doctor he say to me such a little time ago. And you, Mademoise

osky," said the other, coldly. "I have don

, smiling. "You must not be offend wit

ak it most acceptably,

y. "I have heard you called the stowaw

s Percival

rely you do not approve of me to call you Percival

been a servant in the family for at least one generation if you stick it on. If you could only call me Monsieur Percival, or Sen

l. She smiled up at the puzzled dancer. "His name is Mr. Per

you, Mademoiselle, may

ot call him

a very short time," explaine

hed the bandaging process in silence

, Mademoiselle. I am taking a

home again, I shall prepare myself at once for work in France. We are needed over there. We will be n

y gave her a

you? Voila! When you train a boy to be a soldier, as the boys are trained in my country and in Germany, you make an animal of him,-and not a very nice animal

Percival stared at the Russian

say that of the French

aid coolly, as if there were nothing more to be said on the subject. "Please, Mademoiselle," she went on, briskly

, you mean, M

ess them, then you dre

aughed. The wo

e left hand. You may watch

t make you

mbarrassed?" inqui

," lamented the other. "Ner

id Percival. "All red and blistery and greasy.

"Have you ever seen a little Jewish girl,-but no, Mademoiselle, no! I have catch the look in you

ver and the bottle containing ointment had been restored to

gauze bandages are to be obtained, Miss Clinto

id, she ordered her to apply to the ship's surge

Why should you, a great hulking beast of a woman, be dying every minute o

r eyes, "I shall be dashed to pieces against the wall

excuse. My legs ma

egs I am speaking of. My

her mistress, and the ungainly m

them. The increasing fury of the storm had driven all save the hardiest sailors and a few of the non-praying male passengers to their rooms. Now and then one or two of the courageous, devoted nurses appeared in the corrido

ed men. Their faces were grave,-more serious than ever. They had been down to investigate the leak. Percival was stripped to the w

ith me the bandages." She sent a swift glance over him, and smiled. "B

t of tan. His companions stared

Then a sense of loyalty to the girl who had been kind to him impelled him to add: "Beside

owes so little to you and I so much. Come, le

"You can't g

, in surprise. "Does not Mis

he doe

other men who are wounded. I

ent. They can'

earchingly i

ter a moment. "You a

" he exclaim

your hands. I see, my friend. Voila

for the world have her feel that I am not grateful, and that's exactly what i

puzzled look in her dar

or interfere,"

. He was conscious of the abrupt

, lifting her chin. "

y good of you. Please don't think me ungra

ddenly her eyes widened. "Is it because I dance in my ba

of you, Madame Obosky. I wasn't even aware

Obosky dance?" she

ev

ve not had ze pleasure of seeing me, Mr. Percivail, you do not either covet me or despise me. That is fine. It is good to know that you do not despise me." Observing the expre

p, quick look into her eyes, however, he came to the conclusion that she was absolutely sincere. So far as she was con

ress the hope that both of us may go on to the end of

t, and then favoured him with

IND DR

when we are very old people and very old friends I may then be permitted to bandage your hands. At present, however, the risk is too great, eh? I a

kery in her eyes.

e have been looking things over down belo

ed off. She swung

er, Mr. Percivail?" s

omething that will have to

means it is

. She righted herself promptly, but did not reveal

ing of fear. Don't you realize, Madame Obosky, that we are in the gravest peri

f fear. I am afraid of rats and snakes and thieves-and drunken soldiers. I am afra

, I don't mind confessing that I'm scared half to death

going down to the bottom of zis dreadful ocean. But we are not. I have no fear. We shall come out all right on top,

deuce do you manage to keep your f

my feet. In my profession, one must do both. You will always find me doing that. Good-bye,-we part he

e wall some distance away. She sat up but did not at once attempt to arise. Instead she clutched frantically at her skirt to draw it down over her shapely ankles and calves. In the lantern light he saw the dismayed, shamed look

people every night! Can you beat it! The last person in the world you'd think would care a whoop,

took himself off in the direction of the Captain's quarters,-