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 to, yawing wildly as the rudder was lifted clear of the water. Then the sail jibed. The boom struck Garth on the side of his head and sent him sprawling.

Joan had presence of mind enough to realize that she must attend to the boat even before she could find out whether or not Garth was killed. In a sort of numb frenzy she lowered away the sail and hauled up the center-board. It seemed to her that she moved with the dreadful slowness of a dream. Released, the Ailouros spun around in the seas, rolling as lightly as a cork. Garth was sitting up when Joan staggered back from the halyards.

"That hurt my knee, rather," he said, rubbing it cautiously.

"Your knee!" said Joan shakily. "Didn't it hurt your head?"

"It was rather buzzy and black for a minute," he said, "but the boom didn't come over very hard."

Fortunately it had not, nor had it struck him on the temple.

"What are you going to do,—double-reef and try again?" he asked, leaning back against the center-board case. He was rather pale under his tan.