began to mount high in the heart of Lee
Bentley--the hope that they might yet reach land. When, hours later,
he could hear the roaring of breakers he was sure of it--if the
breakers could be passed in safety. After that their fate was in the
lap of the gods.

The girl too must have heard, for she turned at last in Bentley's arms
and began to swim for herself. She was a strong swimmer and the period
during which she had been out of things had revived her amazingly. She
even managed a smile as she swam beside Bentley into the creamy
breakers behind which they could make out the blackness of shore.

They were so close together that at times their hands touched as they
swam, and could make themselves heard by dint of shouting, though they
both husbanded their strength and their breathing for swimming.

"I'm not dressed for company," he told her. "I left my tuxedo aboard
the _Bengal Queen_!"

It was then that her lips twisted into a smile.

"I wouldn't even allow my maid into my stateroom if I were dressed as
I am at the moment," she answered strongly, "but we're both grown up I
think, and there are times when conventions go by the board. We'll
pretend it doesn't matter!"

Then mutually helping each other they fought through the breakers into
the calmer water behind, and managed at last to stand in water hip
deep, with the undertow dragging at their limbs. They looked at each
other and clasped hands without a word. They strode to the sandy beach
beyond which the jungle reached away to some invisible horizon, and
continued on until they were at last beyond the reach of the waves.

* * * * *

They did not look at each other again, though Bentley did notice that
her garb was as scanty almost as his own, consisting mostly of a slip
which the water had pasted fast against her flesh. Beyond noting that
she seemed to be young, Bentley did not intrude. Nor did he think of
the future. It was enough for the moment that they had escaped the
might of angry Neptune, god of the seas.

They dropped to the sands side by side, and the sands were warm. That
the jungle behind them might be alive with wild beasts they did not
pause to consider. Bentley had gazed at the jungle a moment before
dropping down.

He had noticed but one thing--a moving light somewhere among the
tangled mass, a light as of a monster firefly erratically darting
through the deeper gloom.

The girl--he had noted she was as muc