ir of torn duck trousers. Rolled
bottoms revealed bare feet. He wore no shirt. Holstered on his belt was
a heavy pistol.

"Look, big boy," the girl cajoled. "Me and you could get along all
right."

"What makes you think so?" Craig questioned.

This was apparently not the answer she had expected. She seemed to be
startled. For a moment her eyes measured the man.

"You've been looking for something that you wanted very badly," she
said. "You haven't found it. Because you haven't found it, you have
become bitter."

Her words made Craig uncomfortable. They came too close to the truth. He
shifted his position on the seat.

"So what?" he said.

"So nothing," the girl answered. "Except that we are two of a kind."

"And because we are two of a kind, we can get along?" he questioned.

"Yes," she answered. She made no effort to hide the longing in her eyes.
"Look, Craig, me and you, we're tough." She gestured contemptuously at
the others in the boat. "_They_ aren't tough."

"Aren't they?"

"No." The words came faster now, as if she had made up her mind to say
what she had to say and be damned with the consequences. "They're going
to die. Oh, you needn't shake your head. You haven't fooled me for a
minute with your pretending there will be a ship along to pick us up.
There won't be a ship. Our only hope is that we may drift ashore on an
island. It may be days before we find an island. There isn't enough
water to keep us all alive that long. So--"

She couldn't quite finish what she had to say. Craig watched her, his
eyes cold and unrevealing. Her gaze dropped.

"So why don't you and I split the water and let the others die of thirst
because we are tough and they aren't? Is that what you mean?" he asked.

"No--" She faltered. "N--no." Defiance hardened her face. "Yes!" she
snapped. "That's what I mean. Why should we take care of them? We don't
owe them anything. Why should we die with them? What have they--or
anybody else--ever done for us? I'll tell you the answer. Nothing.
Nothing! _Nothing!_"

"Because they have done nothing for us and because we are the stronger,
we let them die. Is that what you mean?"

"Y--yes."

* * * * *

Craig sat in silence for a moment. Dark thoughts were in his mind but
his face showed nothing. "I have a gun," he said, "the only gun in the
boat. That makes me the boss. Why don't I keep all the water for myself
and let the rest of you die of thirst?"