Page:Yellow Claw 1920.djvu/424

 Now green water began to spout over the nose of the laboring craft.

“I’ve only enough juice to run us back to Tilbury, sir, if we put about now!” came the shouted report.

“It’s easy to talk!” roared Rogers. “If one of these big ’uns gets us broadside on, our number’s up!”…

“Cutter putting over for Sheppey coast, sir!” bellowed the man in the bows.

Stringer raised himself, weakly, and sought to peer through the driving spray and rain-mist.

“By God! They’ve turned—turtle!”…

“Stand by with belts!” bellowed Rogers.

Rapidly life belts were unlashed; and, ahead, to port, to starboard, brine-stung eyes glared out from the reeling craft. Gray in the nascent dawn stretched the tossing sea about them; and lonely they rode upon its billows.

“''Port! port! hard a-port!''” screamed the lookout.

But Rogers, grimly watching the oncoming billows, knew that to essay the maneuver at that moment meant swamping the cutter. Straight ahead they drove. A wave, higher than any they yet had had to ride, came boiling down upon them…and twisting, writhing, upcasting imploring arms to the elements—the implacable elements—a girl, a dark girl, entwined, imprisoned in silken garments, swept upon its crest!

Out shot a cork belt into the boiling sea…and