hen I've sailed her, too; and she is a witch, a perfect witch. Why, do
you know, she'll steer by the wind with half a spoke, give and take. And
going about! Well, you don't have to baby her, starting head-sheets,
flattening mainsail, and gentling her with the wheel. Put your wheel
down, and around she comes, like a colt with the bit in its teeth. And
you can back her like a steamer. I did it at Langa-Langa, between that
shoal patch and the shore-reef. It was wonderful.

"But you don't love boats like I do, and I know you think I'm making a
fool of myself. But some day I'm going to sail the _Martha_ again. I
know it. I know it."

In reply, and quite without premeditation, his hand went out to hers,
covering it as it lay on the railing. But he knew, beyond the shadow of
a doubt, that it was the boy that returned the pressure he gave, the boy
sorrowing over the lost toy. The thought chilled him. Never had he been
actually nearer to her, and never had she been more convincingly remote.
She was certainly not acutely aware that his hand was touching hers. In
her grief at the departure of the _Martha_ it was, to her, anybody's
hand--at the best, a friend's hand.

He withdrew his hand and walked perturbedly away.

"Why hasn't he got that big fisherman's staysail on her?" she demanded
irritably. "It would make the old girl just walk along in this breeze. I
know the sort old Kinross is. He's the skipper that lies three days
under double-reefed topsails waiting for a gale that doesn't come. Safe?
Oh, yes, he's safe--dangerously safe."

Sheldon retraced his steps.

"Never mind," he said. "You can go sailing on the _Martha_ any time you
please--recruiting on Malaita if you want to."

It was a great concession he was making, and he felt that he did it
against his better judgment. Her reception of it was a surprise to him.

"With old Kinross in command?" she queried. "No, thank you. He'd drive
me to suicide. I couldn't stand his handling of her. It would give me
nervous prostration. I'll never step on the _Martha_ again, unless it is
to take charge of her. I'm a sailor, like my father, and he could never
bear to see a vessel mishandled. Did you see the way Kinross got under
way? It was disgraceful. And the noise he made about it! Old Noah did
better with the Ark."

"But we manage to get somewhere just the same," he smiled.

"So did Noah."

"That was the main thing."

"For an antediluvian."