cy. Why had I trusted myself within reach of those
terrible arms? I could feel other hands at my throat. They were Maud's
hands, striving vainly to tear loose the hand that was throttling me.
She gave it up, and I heard her scream in a way that cut me to the soul,
for it was a woman's scream of fear and heart-breaking despair. I had
heard it before, during the sinking of the _Martinez_.

My face was against his chest and I could not see, but I heard Maud turn
and run swiftly away along the deck. Everything was happening quickly.
I had not yet had a glimmering of unconsciousness, and it seemed that an
interminable period of time was lapsing before I heard her feet flying
back. And just then I felt the whole man sink under me. The breath was
leaving his lungs and his chest was collapsing under my weight. Whether
it was merely the expelled breath, or his consciousness of his growing
impotence, I know not, but his throat vibrated with a deep groan. The
hand at my throat relaxed. I breathed. It fluttered and tightened
again. But even his tremendous will could not overcome the dissolution
that assailed it. That will of his was breaking down. He was fainting.

Maud's footsteps were very near as his hand fluttered for the last time
and my throat was released. I rolled off and over to the deck on my
back, gasping and blinking in the sunshine. Maud was pale but
composed,--my eyes had gone instantly to her face,--and she was looking
at me with mingled alarm and relief. A heavy seal-club in her hand
caught my eyes, and at that moment she followed my gaze down to it. The
club dropped from her hand as though it had suddenly stung her, and at
the same moment my heart surged with a great joy. Truly she was my
woman, my mate-woman, fighting with me and for me as the mate of a
caveman would have fought, all the primitive in her aroused, forgetful of
her culture, hard under the softening civilization of the only life she
had ever known.

"Dear woman!" I cried, scrambling to my feet.

The next moment she was in my arms, weeping convulsively on my shoulder
while I clasped her close. I looked down at the brown glory of her hair,
glinting gems in the sunshine far more precious to me than those in the
treasure-chests of kings. And I bent my head and kissed her hair softly,
so softly that she did not know.

Then sober thought came to me. After all, she was only a woman, crying
her relief, now that the danger was past,