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explained。







〃She　busied　herself　in　attending　to　the　boy；　and　nobody　looking



into　that　room　would　have　seen　anything　suspicious　in　those　two



people　exchanging　murmurs　by　the　sick…bedside。







〃'But　now　they　think　I　am　a　better　man　than　Bamtz　ever　was；'　she



said　with　a　faint　laugh。







〃The　child　moaned。　　She　went　down　on　her　knees；　and；　bending　low；



contemplated　him　mournfully。　　Then　raising　her　head；　she　asked



Davidson　whether　he　thought　the　child　would　get　better。　　Davidson



was　sure　of　it。　　She　murmured　sadly：　　'Poor　kid。　　There's　nothing



in　life　for　such　as　he。　　Not　a　dog's　chance。　　But　I　couldn't　let



him　go；　Davy！　　I　couldn't。'







〃Davidson　felt　a　profound　pity　for　the　child。　　She　laid　her　hand　on



his　knee　and　whispered　an　earnest　warning　against　the　Frenchman。



Davy　must　never　let　him　come　to　close　quarters。　　Naturally　Davidson



wanted　to　know　the　reason；　for　a　man　without　hands　did　not　strike



him　as　very　formidable　under　any　circumstances。







〃'Mind　you　don't　let　him　…　that's　all；'　she　insisted　anxiously；



hesitated；　and　then　confessed　that　the　Frenchman　had　got　her　away



from　the　others　that　afternoon　and　had　ordered　her　to　tie　a　seven…



pound　iron　weight　（out　of　the　set　of　weights　Bamtz　used　in



business）　to　his　right　stump。　　She　had　to　do　it　for　him。　　She　had



been　afraid　of　his　savage　temper。　　Bamtz　was　such　a　craven；　and



neither　of　the　other　men　would　have　cared　what　happened　to　her。



The　Frenchman；　however；　with　many　awful　threats　had　warned　her　not



to　let　the　others　know　what　she　had　done　for　him。　　Afterwards　he



had　been　trying　to　cajole　her。　　He　had　promised　her　that　if　she



stood　by　him　faithfully　in　this　business　he　would　take　her　with　him



to　Haiphong　or　some　other　place。　　A　poor　cripple　needed　somebody　to



take　care　of　him　…　always。







〃Davidson　asked　her　again　if　they　really　meant　mischief。　　It　was；



he　told　me；　the　hardest　thing　to　believe　he　had　run　up　against；　as



yet；　in　his　life。　　Anne　nodded。　　The　Frenchman's　heart　was　set　on



this　robbery。　　Davy　might　expect　them；　about　midnight；　creeping　on



board　his　ship；　to　steal　anyhow　…　to　murder；　perhaps。　　Her　voice



sounded　weary；　and　her　eyes　remained　fastened　on　her　child。







〃And　still　Davidson　could　not　accept　it　somehow；　his　contempt　for



these　men　was　too　great。







〃'Look　here；　Davy；'　she　said。　　'I'll　go　outside　with　them　when　they



start；　and　it　will　be　hard　luck　if　I　don't　find　something　to　laugh



at。　　They　are　used　to　that　from　me。　　Laugh　or　cry　…　what's　the



odds。　　You　will　be　able　to　hear　me　on　board　on　this　quiet　night。



Dark　it　is　too。　　Oh！　it's　dark；　Davy！　…　it's　dark！'







〃'Don't　you　run　any　risks；'　said　Davidson。　　Presently　he　called　her



attention　to　the　boy；　who；　less　flushed　now；　had　dropped　into　a



sound　sleep。　　'Look。　　He'll　be　all　right。'







〃She　made　as　if　to　snatch　the　child　up　to　her　breast；　but



restrained　herself。　　Davidson　prepared　to　go。　　She　whispered



hurriedly：







〃'Mind；　Davy！　　I've　told　them　that　you　generally　sleep　aft　in　the



hammock　under　the　awning　over　the　cabin。　　They　have　been　asking　me



about　your　ways　and　about　your　ship；　too。　　I　told　them　all　I　knew。



I　had　to　keep　in　with　them。　　And　Bamtz　would　have　told　them　if　I



hadn't　…　you　understand？'







〃He　made　a　friendly　sign　and　went　out。　　The　men　about　the　table



（except　Bamtz）　looked　at　him。　　This　time　it　was　Fector　who　spoke。



'Won't　you　join　us　in　a　quiet　game；　Captain？'







〃Davidson　said　that　now　the　child　was　better　he　thought　he　would　go



on　board　and　turn　in。　　Fector　was　the　only　one　of　the　four　whom　he



had；　so　to　speak；　never　seen；　for　he　had　had　a　good　look　at　the



Frenchman　already。　　He　observed　Fector's　muddy　eyes；　his　mean；



bitter　mouth。　　Davidson's　contempt　for　those　men　rose　in　his　gorge；



while　his　placid　smile；　his　gentle　tones　and　general　air　of



innocence　put　heart　into　them。　　They　exchanged　meaning　glances。







〃'We　shall　be　sitting　late　over　the　cards；'　Fector　said　in　his



harsh；　low　voice。







〃'Don't　make　more　noise　than　you　can　help。'







〃'Oh！　we　are　a　quiet　lot。　　And　if　the　invalid　shouldn't　be　so　well；



she　will　be　sure　to　send　one　of　us　down　to　call　you；　so　that　you



may　play　the　doctor　again。　　So　don't　shoot　at　sight。'







〃'He　isn't　a　shooting　man；'　struck　in　Niclaus。







〃'I　never　shoot　before　making　sure　there's　a　reason　for　it　…　at　any



rate；'　said　Davidson。







〃Bamtz　let　out　a　sickly　snigger。　　The　Frenchman　alone　got　up　to



make　a　bow　to　Davidson's　careless　nod。　　His　stumps　were　stuck



immovably　in　his　pockets。　　Davidson　understood　now　the　reason。







〃He　went　down　to　the　ship。　　His　wits　were　working　actively；　and　he



was　thoroughly　angry。　　He　smiled；　he　says　（it　must　have　been　the



first　grim　smile　of　his　life）；　at　the　thought　of　the　seven…pound



weight　lashed　to　the　end　of　the　Frenchman's　stump。　　The　ruffian　had



taken　that　precaution　in　case　of　a　quarrel　that　might　arise　over



the　division　of　the　spoil。　　A　man　with　an　unsuspected　power　to　deal



killing　blows　could　take　his　own　part　in　a　sudden　scrimmage　round　a



heap　of　money；　even　against　adversaries　armed　with　revolvers；



especially　if　he　himself　started　the　row。







〃'He's　ready　to　face　any　of　his　friends　with　that　thing。　　But　he



will　have　no　use　for　it。　　There　will　be　no　occasion　to　quarrel



about　these　dollars　here；'　thought　Davidson；　getting　on　board



quietly。　　He　never　paused　to　look　if　there　was　anybody　about　the



decks。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　most　of　his　crew　were　on　shore；　and



the　rest　slept；　stowed　away　in　dark　corners。







〃He　had　his　plan；　and　he　went　to　work　methodically。







〃He　fetched　a　lot　of　clothing　from　below　and　disposed　it　in　his



hammock　in　such　a　way　as　to　distend　it　to　the　shape　of　a　human



body；　then　he　threw　over　all　the　light　cotton　sheet　he　used　to　draw



over　himself　when　sleeping　on　deck。　　Having　done　this；　he　loaded



his　two　revolvers　and　clambered　into　one　of　the　boats　the　Sissie



carried　right　aft；　swung　out　on　their　davits。　　Then　he　waited。







〃And　again　the　doubt　of　such　a　thing　happening　to　him　crept　into



his　mind。　　He　was　almost　ashamed　of　this　ridiculous　vigil　in　a



boat。　　He　became　bored。　　And　then　he　became　drowsy。　　The　stillness



of　the　black　universe　wearied　him。　　There　was　not　even　the　lapping



of　the　water　to　keep　him　company；　for　the　tide　was　out　and　the



Sissie　was　lying　on　soft　mud。　　Suddenly　in　the　breathless；



soundless；　hot　night　an　argus　pheasant　screamed　in　the　woods　across



the　stream。　　Davidson　started　violently；　all　his　senses　on　the



alert　at　once。







〃The　candle　was　still　burning　in　the　house。　　Everything　was　quiet



again；　but　Davidson　felt　drowsy　no　longer。　　An　uneasy　premonition



of　evil　oppressed　him。







〃'Surely　I　am　not　afraid；'　he　argued　with　himself。







〃The　silence　was　like　a　seal　on　his　ears；　and　his　nervous　inward



impatience　grew　intolerable。　　He　commanded　himself　to　keep　still。



But　all　the　same　he　was　just　going　to　jump　out　of　the　boat　when　a



faint　ripple　on　the　immensity　of　silence；　a　mere　tremor　in　the　air；



the　ghost　of　a　silvery　laugh；　reached　his　ears。







〃Illusion！







〃He　kept　very　still。　　He　had　no　difficulty　now　in　emulating　the



stillness　of　the　mouse　…　a　grimly　determined　mouse。　　But　he　could



not　shake　off　that　premonition　of　evil　unrelated　to　the　mere　danger



of　the　situation。　　Nothing　happened。　　It　had　been　an　illusion！







〃A　curiosity　came　to　him　to　learn　how　they　would　go　to　work。　　He



wondered　and　wondered；　till　the　whole　thing　seemed　more　absurd　than



ever。







〃He　had　left　the　hanging　lamp　in　the　cabin　burning　as　usual。　　It



was　part　of　his　plan　that　everything　should　be　as　usual。　　Suddenly



in　the　dim　glow　of　the　skylight　panes　a　bulky　shadow　came　up　the



ladder　without　a　sound；　made　two　steps　towards　the　hammock　（it　hung



right　over　the　skylight）；　and　stood　motionless。　　The　Frenchman！







〃The　minutes　began　to　slip　away。　　Davidson　guessed　that　the



Frenchman's　part　（the　poor　cripple）　was　to　watch　his　（Davidson's）



slumbers　while　the　others　were　no　doubt　in　the　cabin　busy　forcing



off　the　lazarette　hatch。







〃What　was　the　course　they　meant　to　pursue　once　they　got　hold　of　the



silver　（there　were　ten　cases；　and　each　could　be　carried　easily　by



two　men）　nobody　can　tell　now。　　But　so　far；　Davidson　was　right。



They　were　in　the　cabin。　　He　expected　to　hear　the　sounds　of



breaking…in　every　moment。　　But　the　fact　was　that　one　of　them



（perhaps　Fector；　who　had　stolen　papers　out　of　desks　in　his　time）



knew　how　to　pick　a　lock；　and　apparently　was　provided　with　the



tools。　　Thus　while　Davidson　expected　every　moment　to　hear　them



begin　down　there；　they　had　the　bar　off　already　and　two　cases



actually　up　in　the　cabin　out　of　the　lazarette。







〃In　the　diffused　faint　glow　of　the　skylight　the　Frenchman　moved　no



more　than　a　statue。　　Davidson　could　have　shot　him　with　the　greatest



ease　…　but　he　was　not　homicidally　inclined。　　Moreover；　he　wanted　to



make　sure　before　opening　fire　that　the　others　had　gone　to　work。



Not　hearing　the　sounds　he　expected　to　hear；　he　felt　uncertain



whether　they　all　were　on　board　yet。







〃While　he　listened；　the　Frenchman；　whose　immobility　might　have　but



cloaked　an　internal　struggle；　moved　forward　a　pace；　then　another。



Davidson；　entranced；　watched　him　advance　one　leg；　withdraw　his



right　stump；　the　armed　one；　out　of　his　pocket；　and　swinging　his



body　to　put　greater　force　into　the　blow；　bring　the　seven…pound



weight　down　on　the　hammock　where　the　head　of　the　sleeper　ought　to



have　been。







〃Davidson　admitted　to　me　that　his　hair　stirred　at　the　roots　then。



But　for　Anne；　his　unsuspecting　head　would　have　been　there。　　The



Frenchman's　surprise　must