The After House

"You do not know what you are saying!"

But I had angered her, and she went on cruelly:-"Who are you, anyhow? You are not a sailor. You came here and were

taken on because you told a hard-luck story. How do we know that

you came from a hospital? Men just out of prison look as you did.

Do you know what we called you, the first two days out? We called

you Elsa's jail-bird And now, because you have dominated the crew,

we are in your hands!"

"Do Mrs. Turner and Miss Lee think that?"

"They feel as I do. This is a picked crew men the Turner line has

employed for years."

"You are very brave, Mrs. Johns," I said. "If I were what you think

I am, I would be a dangerous enemy."

"I am not afraid of you."

I thought fast. She was right. It had not occurred to me before,

but it swept over me overwhelmingly.

"You are leaving me only one thing to do," I said. "I shall

surrender myself to the men at once." I took out my revolver and

held it out to her. "This rope is a dead-line. The crew know, and

you will have no trouble; but you must stand guard here until some

one else is sent."

She took the revolver without a word, and, somewhat dazed by this

new turn of events, I went aft. The men were gathered there, and I

surrendered myself. They listened in silence while I told them the

situation. Burns, who had been trying to sleep, sat up and stared

at me incredulously.

"It will leave you pretty short-handed, boys," I finished, "but

you'd better fasten me up somewhere. But I want to be sure of one

thing first: whatever happens, keep the guard for the women."

"We'd like to talk it over, Leslie," Burns said, after a word with

the others.

I went forward a few feet, taking care to remain where they could

see me, and very soon they called me. There had been a dispute, I

believe. Adams and McNamara stood off from the others, their faces

not unfriendly, but clearly differing from the decision. Charlie

Jones, who, by reason of long service and a sort of pious control he

had in the forecastle, was generally spokesman for the crew, took a

step or two toward me.

"We'll not do it, boy," he said. "We think we know a man when we

see one, as well as having occasion to know that you're white all

through. And we're not inclined to set the talk of women against

what we think best to do. So you stick to your job, and we're

back of you."

In spite of myself, I choked up. I tried to tell them what their

loyalty meant to me; but I could only hold out my hand, and, one by

one, they came up and shook it solemnly.