veiling
depth.

When she had finished eating she put the plate by her side and sat
waiting for La Touche to make a movement.

Bompard that morning had left his tinder box behind him in the cave, she
heard the strike of flint on steel. La Touche was lighting his pipe. She
waited ten minutes or more, then she came to the cave mouth.

"Are you not coming to look for Bompard?" asked she.

"I'll go when I choose," said he, "I don't want orders."

"I gave you no orders," she replied, "I asked you, are you not coming to
look for Bompard who may be in difficulties, or lying perhaps with a
broken limb--and you sit there smoking your pipe. But I give you orders
now; get up and come and help to look for him. Get up at once."

He sprang to his feet and came right out. It seemed to her that she had
never seen him before. This was the real La Touche.

"One word more from you," he shouted, "and I'll show you who's master.
You! Talk to me, would you! A--woman more trouble than you're worth. Off
with you, get down the beach--clear!"

He took a step forward with his right fist ready to strike,
open-handed. Then he drew back. She had whipped the knife from its
sheath.

The boat hook, which she had brought back with her, was propped against
the cliff behind her and out of his reach, he had no weapon.

She did not add a word to the threat of the knife. He stood like a fool,
unable to sustain her gaze, venomous, yet held, as a snake is held by a
man's grip.

"Now," she said, "get on. Go search for your companion and if you dare
to speak to me again like that I will make you repent it. You thought I
was weak being a woman and alone. You were going to strike. Coward!--Get
on, go and search for your companion."

He turned suddenly and walked off towards the Lizard rocks. "I'll go
where I choose," said he.

It was a lame and impotent end of his rebellion, but she held no
delusions. This was only the beginning--if Bompard did not return.

She put the knife in its sheath and then she put the boat hook away,
hiding it behind the sailcloth in her cave, then she went into the
men's cave. La Touche's clasp knife lay there on the sand, it was not
much of a weapon but she took it. She examined the dinner knives again.
They were almost useless as weapons. Then she came out. La Touche had
disappeared beyond the rocks and she came to the boat. There was nothing
here in the way of a weapon that he might use, unless the oars. They
were hea