d. We chopped away at the
tangle of wreckage whenever we got a chance, but that wasn't often,
because, in her present position, the waves raked her every second
and we had to hang on for dear life.

"And then she began to go to pieces--which was the beginning of the
end. All hands knew it was to be every man for himself. We had no life
preservers, and our one big dory had been smashed when the wreckage
came down."

Code's face was working with suppressed emotion, and Elsa reached out
her hand and touched his.

"Don't tell me any more," she said; "I know the rest. Let's talk about
the present."

"Thanks, Elsa," he said, gratefully.

"How long have you thought that the schooner was a second 'one hoss
shay'?"

"Until this talk with you. I would never have thought anything else.
It's the logical thing to think, isn't it? All my neighbors at
Freekirk Head, except those who believe the evil they hear, have told
me half a dozen times that that is what must have happened to the
_May_. She had lived her life and that last great strain, combined
with the race the week before, was too much for her. I simply could
not explain those things happening."

"Yes, but you can now, can't you?" she asked coolly.

Reluctantly he faced the issue, but he faced it squarely.

"Yes, I can. Nat expected me to sail the _May_ in a race, so he
weakened my topm'st and mainstay. Of course, when there is sport in it
you set every kite you've got in your lockers and, you know, Elsa, I
never took my mains'l in yet while there was one standing in the
fleet, even ordinary fishing days."

"I know it; you've scared me half to death a dozen times with your
sail-carrying."

"And mind, Elsa, I'd been warned by all the wiseacres in Freekirk Head
that my sticks would carry away sometime in a gale o' wind. Nat banked
on that, too, and it shows how clever he was, forever since the _May_
sank I've had men tell me I shouldn't have carried four lowers that
day.

"He planned to weaken me where I needed sail most and he succeeded.
Why, Elsa, that topm'st must have been sawed a quarter of the way
through and that mainstay as much again. I don't really believe he did
anything to the foregaff; it appeared to be the natural result of the
topm'st's falling, but the damage he did resulted in the wreck of the
schooner--"

"And the death of his own father. Yes, Code, we've got him where he is
probably the wretchedest man in the world. Fury and hurt pride made