The Pagan Madonna

"Neither of you will stoop to ask him questions, so I had to. And I have

learned one thing. He is going pearl hunting."

"What? Off the Catwick? There's no pearl oyster in that region," Dennison

declared. "Either he is lying or the Catwick is a blind. The only chance

he'd have would be somewhere in the Sulu Archipelago; and this time of

year the pearl fleets will be as thick as flies in molasses. Of course if

he is aware of some deserted atoll, why, there might be something in it."

"Have you ever hunted pearls?"

"In a second-hand sort of way. But if pearls are his game, why commit

piracy when he could have chartered a tramp to carry his crew? There's

more than one old bucket hereabouts ready to his hand for coal and

stores. He'll need a shoe spoon to get inside or by the Sulu fleets, since

the oyster has been pretty well neglected these five years, and every

official pearler will be hiking down there. But it requires a certain

amount of capital and a stack of officially stamped paper, and I don't

fancy Cunningham has either."

Cleigh smiled dryly, but offered no comment. He knew all about

Cunningham's capital.

"Did he say anything about being picked up by another boat?" asked

Dennison.

"No," answered Jane. "But I don't believe it will be hard for me to make

him tell me that. I believe that he will keep his word, too."

"Jane, he has broken the law of the sea. I don't know what the penalty is

these days, but it used to be hanging to the yard-arm. He won't be

particular about his word if by breaking it he can save his skin. He's

been blarneying you. You've let his plausible tongue and handsome face

befog you."

"That is not true!" she flared. Afterward she wondered what caused the

flash of perversity. "And I resent your inference!" she added with

uplifted chin.

Dennison whirled her about savagely, stared into her eyes, then walked to

the companion, up which he disappeared. This rudeness astonished her

profoundly. She appealed silently to the father.

"We are riding a volcano," said Cleigh. "I'm not sure but he's setting

some trap for you. He may need you as a witness for the defense. Of course

I can't control your actions, but it would relieve me immensely if you'd

give him a wide berth."

"He was not the one who brought me aboard."