Page:GB Lancaster--law-bringer.djvu/447

Rh "No. You'll have to tell him that. Poor devil. I guess he's sorry he ever took her aboard. She's makin' him sweat for it. You watch out, Dick. One can raise out most fellows on a bluff, but a man in love is the devil to meddle with."

Dick knew this for a certainty when he peered in at the cabin door over Baxter's shoulder, and saw Scott with his elbows on the table, and his eyes on Andree where she sat on the transom under the port-hole. In the light of the deck he had stumbled among half-scraped bone, barrels and trying-out pots, flenching-knives and tubs of blubber. Here, in the gloom, the two men and the one girl at the table showed palely. And then Andree thrust her face forward at Baxter.

"You needn't have come back. I will not go ashore for any man," she cried.

"Won't you come for me, Andree?" said Dick, and stepped out of the dark. Andree sprang up with eyes dilated and colour suddenly struck from her cheeks. Dick heard the men move, but his eyes did not leave Andree. Did she know what he had come for? Did she know?"

"Dick!" she screamed sharply. "Dick!"

She put her foot on the transom and hurled herself across the table; tripping and stumbling among the cups and cutlery, laughing and crying in a breath.

Dick caught her reaching arms and lifted her down, holding her still.

"Steady," he said. "Steady, Andree."

But his own voice was not steady. Not at this moment could he forget what she, in her utter abandon, had come to him for.

Scott was round the end of the table now, with his square face distorted by passion.

"Take your hands off her," he said thickly. "Take them off, will you?"

The light in Andree's eyes had blurred Baxter for a moment. He wondered if Dick had known of this. He touched Scott on the shoulder.

"Be careful," he said quietly. "Don't you see his uniform?"

Dick had stooped his head down to Andree.