Page:Guy Boothby - The Beautiful White Devil.djvu/288

 "Of course, I remember it perfectly," I replied, "but why do you allude to it now?"

" Because I have that same feeling to-night about my fate being mixed up with the sea. I told you I should die at sea, and I have a strange foreboding that, successful as this escape has proved so far, it will yet end in sisaster."

"My darling," I cried. "You must not talk like that. What on earth has put such a notion into your head. No, no, my wife; having brought us safely through so much, our luck will not desert us now."

But she was still unconvinced, and no argument on the part of Janet or myself could raise her spirits. Wonderful is the instinct of danger in the human mind; for in a measure what Alie prophesied actually did come true, as will be seen.

Next morning, just after daylight, I was awakened by a loud thumping at my cabin door.

"Who is there?" I cried,

"Walworth! We want you on deck at once."

Pyjama clad though I was, I thrust my feet into slippers and ran up the companion ladder. I found Patterson there anxiously awaiting me.

"What is the matter?" I asked breathlessly. "Why did you send for me?"

"If you want my reason," he said, pointing over our starboard side, "look there."

I looked, and to my horror saw ahead of us, command the whole strait, two enormous men-of-war. They were within six miles of us, and were evidently making preparations for stopping us.

"What's to be done?" I cried. "Another quarter of an hour and they'll blow us into atoms if we don't heave-to."