e of his, and when he took a turn for
the worse I had to assume desperate chances--which won out."

Meantime the big Belgian woman and her children had been helped up the
ladder by Henderson, who stood respectfully by, awaiting orders for
their disposal. The mother had her eye on the shore and was scowling
steadily upon it when little Maurie came on deck and strolled toward Mr.
Merrick to greet him on his return. Indeed, he had approached to within
a dozen feet of the group when the woman at the rail suddenly turned and
saw him.

"Aha--mon Henri!" she cried and made a dash toward him with outstretched
arms.

"Clarette!"

Maurie stopped short; he grew pallid; he trembled. But he did not await
her coming. With a howl that would have shamed a wild Indian he leaped
upon the rail and made a dive into the water below.

Even as her engulfing arms closed around the spot where he had stood,
there was a splash and splutter that drew everyone to the side to watch
the little Belgian swim frantically to the docks.

The woman grabbed a child with either arm and held them up.

"See!" she cried. "There is your father--the coward--the traitor--the
deserter of his loving family. He thinks to escape; but we shall capture
him yet, and when we do--"

"Hurry, father," screamed the little girl, "or she'll get you."

A slap on the mouth silenced her and set the boy wailing dismally. The
boy was accustomed to howl without provocation. He kicked his mother
until she let him down. By this time they could discern only Maurie's
head bobbing in the distant water. Presently he clambered up the dock
and ran dripping toward the city, disappearing among the buildings.

"Madam," said Uncle John, sternly, "you have cost us the best chauffeur
we ever had."

She did not understand English, but she shook her fist in Mr. Merrick's
face and danced around in an elephantine fashion and jabbered a stream
of French.

"What does she say?" he asked Patsy, who was laughing merrily at the
absurd scene.

"She demands to be put ashore at once. But shall we do that, and put
poor Maurie in peril of being overtaken?"

"Self preservation is the first law of nature, my dear," replied Uncle
John. "I'm sorry for Maurie, but he alone is responsible. Henderson," he
added, turning to the sailor, "put this woman ashore as soon as
possible. We've had enough of her."

CHAPTER XVII

PERPLEXING PROBLEMS

Although the famous battle of Nieuport had come to