at least, had disappeared from his pockets. An
empty wallet on the cabin floor showed with what contemptuous calm the
funds had been abstracted from his pockets. He turned, however, to a
cunning little hiding place, and found there his main supply of
currency--a thousand dollars or more.

No man likes to be robbed, and Carline, fixing upon his visitor Terabon
as his assailant, worked himself into a fine frenzy of indignation. The
fellow had purposely encouraged him to drink immoderately--Carline's
memory was clear and unmistaken on that point--and then, taking
advantage of his unconsciousness, the pseudo writer had committed
piracy.

"I'd ought to be glad he didn't kill me!" Carline sneered to himself,
looking around to conjure up the things that might have been.

The prospect was far from pleasing. The sky was dark, although it was
clearly sometime near the middle of a day--what day, he could but guess.
The wind was raw and penetrating, howling through the trees, and
skipping down the chute with a quick rustling of low, breaking waves.
The birds and animals which he had heard were gone with the sunshine.

When Carline took another look over his boat, he found that it had been
looted of many things, including a good blanket, his shot gun and rifle,
ammunition, and most of his food supply--though he could not recall that
he had had much food on board.

He lighted the coal-oil heater to warm the cabin, for he was chilled to
the bone. He threw the jug overboard, bound now never again to touch
another drop of liquor as long as he lived--that is, unless he happened
to want a drink.

Wearily he set about cleaning up his boat. He was naturally rather
inclined to neatness and orderliness. He picked up, folded, swept out,
and put into shape. He appeased his delicate appetite with odds and ends
of things from a locker full of canned goods which had escaped the
looter.

As long as he could, Carline had not engaged his thoughts with the
subject of his runaway wife. Now, his mind clearing and his body numb,
his soul took up the burden again, and he felt his helplessness thrice
confounded. He did not mind anything now compared to the one fact that
he had lost and deserved to lose the respect of the pretty girl who had
become his wife. He took out the photographs which he had of her, and
looked at them, one by one. What a fool he had been, and what a
scoundrel he was!

He could not give over the pursuit, however; he felt tha