Page:Rowland--The Mountain of Fears.djvu/234

  " 'But, look here, Captain,' said Claud, feebly, 'you seem to forget that I've given up drinking.' " 'Not a bit of it,' said Deshay, 'but there's a big difference between a man's giving up drinking and a man's never taking a drink. If you only drink at my suggestion you'll never come to any harm. Will you join us, Leyden?'

" 'No, thanks,' I answered.

" 'Oh, yes, you will,' said Deshay, in his large way.

"I shrugged my shoulders and, turning on my heel, walked aft. To tell the truth, Doctor, although I am a mild-mannered man who will make a very great detour to avoid a quarrel, I think that just at that moment"

Eight bells were struck forward, and Leyden paused to hold the stump of his cigar to the dial of the taffrail-log.

"A little more than ten," he muttered; "that schooner did better for days on end!" He drummed softly with his fingers until I [ 218 ]