Bandit Love

The boat came alongside at last, and Tony, who appeared to be exhausted

and almost unconscious, was with difficulty hoisted up the ladder to

the deck, where the ship's doctor was already waiting with restoratives.

Someone started a cheer as Don Carlos, dripping wet but smiling, came

up the ladder, and the cheer was taken up by practically everyone

around, save Myra, who was standing tense and white, her brain in a

turmoil.

"Bravo, Don Carlos, bravo!" shouted an excited and enthusiastic

youngster, rushing forward and trying to shake Don Carlos's hand; but

Don Carlos waved him off with an impatient frown and bent over Tony,

who had opened his eyes and was making an effort to sit up.

"Is he all right, doctor?" he asked.

"Yes, I think he is only suffering from shock, sir," the doctor

answered, unfastening Tony's collar, which seemed to be choking him.

"Thanks," gasped Tony faintly and painfully. "I--I'll be all right

presently. Think I must have hit my head on something. Give me a

drink, will you?"

The doctor gave him brandy, had him carried to his cabin, where he

examined him carefully and discovered that he was not injured. He

surmised that Tony had probably been partly stunned by falling flat on

the water when he toppled overboard, and "knocked silly"--to use Tony's

own expression--and he was able to tell the passengers that their host

would probably be all right again within an hour or two.

"Thank heaven for that!" exclaimed Lady Fermanagh fervently. "Myra,

darling, you look ghastly. Doctor, please give Miss Rostrevor

something to pull her together."

"I'm quite all right, thanks," said Myra--and promptly disproved her

own statement by dropping limply into a deck-chair, covering her face

with her hands, and bursting into tears.

She speedily recovered herself, however, after she had been helped to

her state-room and persuaded to swallow some sal volatile, but she

still felt shaken and unnerved.

"Better lie down and rest for a little while until you have quite

recovered from the shock, Myra dear," advised Lady Fermanagh. "Don't

worry. You heard the doctor say that Tony will be quite all right and

isn't hurt."

"I don't understand it," said Myra, more to herself than to her aunt.

"Don Carlos meant to kill Tony, and yet he saved him. Does he want to

make himself out to be a hero simply to flatter still further his own

vanity, or is he trying to frighten me?"

"My dear Myra, what on earth are you talking about?" inquired Lady

Fermanagh in concern.