Prev | Current Page 447 | Next

London, Jack

"The Sea-Wolf"

It was an intolerable period of anxiety. Each moment one or the other of us cast expectant glances toward the Ghost. But he did not come. He did not even appear on deck.


? ? ? ? 'Perhaps it is his headache,' I said. 'I left him lying on the poop. He may lie there all night. I think I'll go and see.'


? ? ? ? Maud looked entreaty at me.


? ? ? ? 'It is all right,' I assured her. 'I shall take the revolvers. You know, I collected every weapon on board.'


? ? ? ? 'But there are his arms, his hands, his terrible, terrible hands,' she objected. And then she cried, 'Oh, Humphrey, I am afraid of him. Don't go! Please don't go!'


? ? ? ? She rested her hand appealingly on mine and sent my pulse fluttering. My heart was surely in my eyes for a moment. The dear and lovely woman! And she was so much the woman, clinging and appealing, sunshine and dew to my manhood, rooting it deeper and sending through it the sap of a new strength. I was for putting my arm around her, as when in the midst of the seal-herd, but I considered and refrained.


Pages:
435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443 444 445 446 447 448 449 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459