n
toward the water's edge and stood there waving to us frantically.

"Leave her!" said Lady Waldon excitedly, clutching my arm. I was up on
the bow, just about to lay the pole along the deck and haul on the
halyards. She spoke very slowly right in my ear. "That, is my maid
Rebecca. The faithless slut--"

Coutlass began to shout, trying to pole the dhow back to land
single-handed.

"We can't leave that woman behind there!" Fred shouted, hardly making
himself heard against the wind.

"Can't we!" shouted Lady Waldon. "Give me that rifle, and I'll solve
the problem for you!"

But Coutlass solved it in another way by jumping overboard, over his
head in deep water, taking our hempen warp with him (I had made one end
of it fast to the bitts, meaning to be able to find it in the dark).

There was quite a sea running, even as close inshore as that, and for a
moment I doubted whether the Greek would make it. By that time it was
all we could do to see the woman's white figure, still gesticulating,
and screaming like a mad thing. Presently, however, the warp
tightened, and then by the strain on it I knew that Coutlass was trying
to haul us back inshore. Failing to do that, for the strength of the
wind was increasing, he seized the Syrian woman by the waist and
plunged into the water with her. I saw them disappear and hauled on
the warp hand-over-hand with all my might, Lady Waldon leaning over to
strike at my hands until I shouted to Fred to come and hold her. Then
she begged Fred again for the rifle, promising to kill the two of them
and reduce our problem to that extent if we would only let her.

Will and I hauled the dripping pair on board, and Coutlass carried the
maid to the stern. She had fainted, either from fright or from being
half-drowned, there was no guessing which. Then in pitch blackness
with Will's help I got the ship beam to the wind and began to make sail.

Now danger was only just beginning! I was the only one of them all who
knew anything whatever about sails and sailing. I was too weak to get
the sail up single-handed, had no compass, knew nothing whatever of the
rocks and shoals, except by rumor that there were plenty of both.
There appeared to be no way of reefing the lateen sail, which was made
of no better material than calico, and I was entirely unfamiliar with
the rigging.

Behind us, as we payed before the gaining wind, was brilliant blaze
that showed where Muanza was. Against the