ut she had not the faintest doubt that, in the end, he
would fall to her trusty sword. And she told Louis so at the door of his
cabin as she said good night to him.

Then she turned back to Number 15. She had looked about the deck for
Jimmy, but guessing that he had fallen asleep in his own bunk, pushed
open the door softly. She was determined that he should not sleep in
there with Ole Fred, who was celebrating a great win at poker.

Louis stood at his own door.

"What are you going in there for?" he asked.

"I'm fetching poor little Jimmy. He's terrified of Ole Fred. He calls
him the Beast. I think it's disgusting that he and the red-haired man
sleep in here with a little boy."

He nodded and smiled at her, but Jimmy was not in the cabin at all. As
she came out Ole Fred came along the alley-way. He leered at her but did
not speak. She hurried into her own cabin, shut the door and pushed the
bolt along instinctively. As she switched on the light she saw a very
small amount of exceedingly dirty water in her basin, and Jimmy's neat
pile of tiny clothes folded on the floor. He was fast asleep in the
lower bunk.

She started to undress in a golden glow of romance, and realized that,
as her clothes came off, her armour was going to stay on, waking and
sleeping, visible only to herself. Then she thought of a small, trivial
thing. She tapped on the partition.

"Are you hungry?" she called quietly.

"Frightfully."

"Go and talk to Knollys. He's very nice. He'll find something for you."

"N-no. I c-can't," he stammered, frightened immediately.

"Then I shall," she said, and, slipping on her dressing-gown, went along
to the saloon. By luck she found Knollys there and he produced bread and
cheese and ship's biscuit from the steward's pantry.

"I imagine you are hungry, miss," he said respectfully when she asked
him to be sure to give her a lot.

"No, I'm not. It's Mr. Farne in Number 8. He hasn't had a meal since he
came aboard."

"Sea-sick?" he said sympathetically.

"Well--" she began, and realizing that she could not explain, nodded.

"He's better now, anyhow."

"I'll make him some tea if you like, miss," went on Knollys. She waited
until he had made it, and ten minutes later she tapped on Louis's door,
took the tray in, laid it on his bunk and came out.

"I won't stay to keep you company. When I'm very hungry I like to
gobble, but I don't like anyone to watch me," she said.

As she came out Ole Fred ope