by the idea, I seized the hair-brushes and looking at
myself in the glass began to use them. Suddenly a hush fell upon the
noise outside, and I heard (the ports of my cabin were thrown open)--I
heard a deep calm voice, not on board my ship, however, hailing
resolutely in English, but with a strong foreign twang, "Go ahead!"

There may be tides in the affairs of men which taken at the flood...
and so on. Personally I am still on the look out for that important
turn. I am, however, afraid that most of us are fated to flounder for
ever in the dead water of a pool whose shores are arid indeed. But
I know that there are often in men's affairs unexpectedly--even
irrationally--illuminating moments when an otherwise insignificant
sound, perhaps only some perfectly commonplace gesture, suffices
to reveal to us all the unreason, all the fatuous unreason, of our
complacency. "Go ahead" are not particularly striking words even when
pronounced with a foreign accent; yet they petrified me in the very
act of smiling at myself in the glass. And then, refusing to believe my
ears, but already boiling with indignation, I ran out of the cabin and
up on deck.

It was incredibly true. It was perfectly true. I had no eyes for
anything but the Diana. It was she, then, was being taken away. She was
already out of her berth and shooting athwart the river. "The way this
loonatic plucked that ship out is a caution," said the awed voice of my
mate close to my ear. "Hey! Hallo! Falk! Hermann! What's this infernal
trick?" I yelled in a fury.

Nobody heard me. Falk certainly could not hear me. His tug was turning
at full speed away under the other bank. The wire hawser between her and
the Diana, stretched as taut as a harp-string, vibrated alarmingly.

The high black craft careened over to the awful strain. A loud crack
came out of her, followed by the tearing and splintering of wood.
"There!" said the awed voice in my ear. "He's carried away their towing
chock." And then, with enthusiasm, "Oh! Look! Look! sir, Look! at them
Dutchmen skipping out of the way on the forecastle. I hope to goodness
he'll break a few of their shins before he's done with 'em."

I yelled my vain protests. The rays of the rising sun coursing level
along the plain warmed my back, but I was hot enough with rage. I
could not have believed that a simple towing operation could suggest so
plainly the idea of abduction, of rape. Falk was simply running off with
the Diana.

Th