The Stolen Singer

wed by a joyous swim, a lusty call to the yacht for "Help," and a growing amazement when he realized that it was the yacht's intention to pass him by. He had swum valiantly

ut. His throat burned with a fiery liquid. Then he felt the plunging and rising of t

was on board the Jeanne D'Arc. Plainly his wits had not been badly shattered by his experience overboard. But the sailor who was attending him with such mini

a bargain with one of the sailors for clothes. He could make out their lingo soon, he guessed, and then he would get a suit of clothes and fare on deck. Suddenly he grasped his waist, struck with an unpleasant thought; his mo

He received consignments of food; short rations they would be, he judged, for an able-bodied seaman. But inactivity and confinement to the fo'c

. His sudden failure of strength in the water had been due to a blow from a floating spar, as a bruise on his forehead testified; "the old man," whom Jim supposed to be the captain, was a ha

many foolish schemes to compass his own enlightenment, and dismissed them one by one. He grimly reflected that a man without clothes can scarcely be a hero, whatever his spirit. Not since the days of Olympus was there any record of man or god being received into any society whatever without his sartorial shell

nto the forgotten shallows of his French learning. By much wrinkling of brows he evolved a sentence, though he had to wait some ho

t?" he inquired with much confide

ith a shrug and a spr

de pantalon, pas de tous

the sailor intimated, Jim, himself, was open to suspicion, and couldn't afford to be too zealous in calumniating o

don ma tate, kee a

d seen a ghost. When he found tongue he uttered a volume of opinion and abuse which

y the yacht had been pitching and rolling, and by afternoon sh

in that peculiar state half-way between sickness and health, when the body is relaxed by a purely accidental illness and the mind is abnormally alert. He wished intensely for a bath, a shave, and a fair complement of clothes. He longed also to go up the hatchway for a breath o

n his imagination, the coat, the shirt, the collar and the tie to go with the trousers-all the

u got on

answered, "I be

aring a hat? I coul

the liberty of b

's so beastly hot and dark in here, you

the stiff blankets from a neighboring bunk, and sat down rather cautiously. Little by little James made out more of the loo

we are indebted for your company on board the Jeann

ook me in-saved my life, in fact; for which I am profoundly gr

g; and as this as not a pleasure yacht, but the vessel of a high official speeding on a most important business matter, I said to the captain, 'Let him swim! Or, if he wishes to die, why

a woman's call for help. The hooded motor-car, the muffled cry of terror, the inert figure being lifted over the side of the yacht-

es; he was, for an instant, a primitive savage. He could have laid violent hands on the other

eeth and no resentment whatever at Jim's remark, But a

n I have come to set you right. It may be that I have my quixotic moments. At any rate, I have a fancy to give you a gentleman's chance. Monsie

ch never serves as a poultice to anger. But he got himself in hand, though imitation courtesy was not much in his l

honor to say farewell, at the auspi

rd." As he paused for an impressive instant, Jim, grabbing his blanket, stood up in derision and executed an ela

nown, whose daring and temper I so much admire. But I certainly misunderstood your violen

ou stole my

certain. A money-belt, between gentlemen! Moreover, you should thank me for so much as rec

t Monsieur Chatelard was now imp

ar from shore. Yes, on second thought, I would by all means advise you to take your departure tonight. Swim back to shore the way you came. In any

n a small, shiny object from his hip pocket and was holding it carelessly in his lap. As his gaze focussed on the revolver, however, he

truggle was brief, for the Frenchman was no match for Jim in strength and scarcely superior to him in skill; but it took one of Jim's old wrestling feints to get the better of his opponent. He came out, in five seconds, with the

r methods are somewhat surprising. Had I known the

mmy. "I thought you might not b

atelard's countenance gave no eviden

pen to possess on this vessel. My request as to your future action still stands, unle

came to dialogue, he was no match for this sarcastic purveyor of words. He wondered whether Monsieur Chatelard was actually as cool as he appeared. As

James. "You have all the tricks of the stage hero-secret pas

arose, making his w

scoffed, "but I can truthfully say that I have rarely seen so striking and unique a f

his gorge risen almost at first sight of this man. He stepped quickly in front of Monsieur Chatelard, blo

t a coward. He did not flinch, but his eyes

have my turn." Wrath

nst the other, they were arrested by a commotion above. Voices were heard shouting, trampling feet were running back and forth over the deck, and a moment late

e during the interview between the American and the Frenchman, the two now faced each other

at is this fool saying?

r. His face became so pale and drawn that it resembled a

full of water-that she is s

to be drowned, not shot, after all! And now you shall speak, you scamp! Your game's up, whatever happens. G

Jim's revolver, but at the foot of the ladder he turned h

no lady aboard this yacht, and I never so much as heard of your Agat

chman spoke was an insult, and the las

t the Frenchman a short-arm blow. Chatelard, trying to dodge, tripped over the base of the lad

adder. It was already dark, and confusion reigned on deck. But through the clamor, Jim made out something near the trut