e like his
shadow, Carter, at his elbow, followed his movements. He felt an anxious
solicitude. . . .

It was a sentiment perfectly new to him. He had never before felt this
sort of solicitude about himself or any other man. His personality was
being developed by new experience, and as he was very simple he received
the initiation with shyness and self-mistrust. He had noticed with
innocent alarm that Lingard had not looked either at the sky or over
the sea, neither at his own ship nor the schooner astern; not along the
decks, not aloft, not anywhere. He had looked at nothing! And somehow
Carter felt himself more lonely and without support than when he had
been left alone by that man in charge of two ships entangled amongst the
Shallows and environed by some sinister mystery. Since that man had come
back, instead of welcome relief Carter felt his responsibility rest on
his young shoulders with tenfold weight. His profound conviction was
that Lingard should be roused.

"Captain Lingard," he burst out in desperation; "you can't say I have
worried you very much since this morning when I received you at the
side, but I must be told something. What is it going to be with us?
Fight or run?"

Lingard stopped short and now there was no doubt in Carter's mind that
the Captain was looking at him. There was no room for any doubt before
that stern and enquiring gaze. "Aha!" thought Carter. "This has
startled him"; and feeling that his shyness had departed he pursued his
advantage. "For the fact of the matter is, sir, that, whatever happens,
unless I am to be your man you will have no officer. I had better tell
you at once that I have bundled that respectable, crazy, fat Shaw out of
the ship. He was upsetting all hands. Yesterday I told him to go and get
his dunnage together because I was going to send him aboard the yacht.
He couldn't have made more uproar about it if I had proposed to chuck
him overboard. I warned him that if he didn't go quietly I would have
him tied up like a sheep ready for slaughter. However, he went down the
ladder on his own feet, shaking his fist at me and promising to have me
hanged for a pirate some day. He can do no harm on board the yacht. And
now, sir, it's for you to give orders and not for me--thank God!"

Lingard turned away, abruptly. Carter didn't budge. After a moment he
heard himself called from the other side of the deck and obeyed with
alacrity.

"What's that story of a man you picked up