rested on the deck. Then he fell
forward and over the side of the raft. There was the gentlest of
splashes, a patch of red--a cluster of bubbles which burst like sighs.

"Well!" said the bartender, and held up the revolver in wonder. "I never
thought I'd live to kill a man!" He looked to see how the others had
taken it, but they were paying no attention to him. He saw Jan holding
the baby and trying to hush its little cries for its mother, while the
baby's mother was pressing the tips of her fingers gently against the
upper part of the injured woman's right breast.

"You mustn't die! You mustn't die!" Jan said when the baby would let
him.

"I don't want to die--not now!" she answered.

The Finn woman looked up and smiled at Jan. "Not die. No, no--not die."

The raft grounded gently on the beach. Jan took the wounded girl and set
out for the top of the sand-hill with her. The bartender took the baby
and toiled behind with its mother.

"Say," said the bartender, "you're all right! How many more children to
home?"

"Home?" She held up seven fingers. "And him," pointing to the baby.

"Great Stork! Here!" He set down the baby, drew out the bar-money and
offered it to her. "When a ship goes down, I heard a sea-lawyer say
once, all debts go with her. And that must mean all credits go too.
Anyhow we'll make it so now. Here--for you."

"Me? No, no. I have husband. Fine job--dollar-half day."

"Dollar an' a half! It's too much for the father of eight children for
one day! But this--see. For baby. And the Lord knows a baby who came
through last night and never a yip out of him, he oughter get a million.
Here--put in bank--for baby."

"Ah-h! For baby. Tenk you." She beamed and took the money. "You brave
man! Him"--pointing to Jan's back--"brave man too."

"Him, brave--yes. But me? No, no. Me scared blue. He'd 'a' shot me next
only I beat him to it."

"Kill baby too." She kissed the baby.

* * * * *

The sun was well up when they reached the top of the hill--a pale,
frightened-looking sun, but nevertheless a sun. The bartender took off
his cap and saluted it gravely. Below them lay the town.

"We'll go down there," said Jan to Mrs. Goles, "and from there, when
you're well, we'll go home--to my mother. But," he added gravely, "we
will go by train."

She smiled weakly at him. "I could go without a train--on my hands and
knees I could crawl to the mother of you! You don't know it, bu