Slowly the vast painting of the sky softened and faded until, at
length, its edges blended with the shadows of the forest. There came
into relief against the sky-line the etched outlines of the trees
crowning the bluff on the eastern side of the great river. The
oncoming darkness promised safety for a craft unimportant as ours as
we now lay in the shadows of the western shore. Meantime, as well as
the failing light allowed, we let nothing on board the Belle Helène
go unobserved.
The yacht lay--with an audacity of carelessness which I did not like
to note--hardly inside the edge of the regular shipping channel, but
swung securely and gracefully at her cable, held by an anchor which I
had devised myself, heavy enough for twice her tonnage. On the deck I
could see an occasional figure, but though I plied my binoculars
carefully, not the figure which I sought. A man leaned against the
rail, idly, smoking, but this I made out to be the engineer, Williams,
come up to get the evening air. Billy, the deck-hand, John, my Chinese
cook, and Peterson, the boat-master, were at the time out of sight,
as well as Cal Davidson, who had her under charter.
We lay thus, separated by some distance of the river's flood, each
craft at anchor, only one observed by the other. But to my impatient
gaze matters seemed strangely slow on board the Belle Helène. I was
relieved when at last the rather portly but well groomed figure of my
friend Davidson appeared on deck. He made his way aft along the rail,
and I could see him bend over and call down the companionway of the
after staterooms. Then, an instant later, he was joined on the after
deck by two ladies. The sight of one of these caused my heart to
bound.
They stood for a moment, no more than dimly outlined, but I could see
them well enough. The older lady, with the scarf about her head, was
Aunt Lucinda. The slighter figure in white and wearing no head
covering, was she, Helena Emory! It was Helena! It was Helena!
She turned toward Davidson. I could hear across the water the sound of
laughter. A sudden feeling of anger came into my soul. I shifted my
position in the Sea Rover, and stepped on Partial's tail, causing
him to give a sharp bark and to come and lick my hand in swift
repentance. I feared for the time that his sound might attract
attention to our boat, which, if examined closely, might seem a
trifle suspicious. True pirates, and oblivious of all law, we had not
yet hoisted our riding lights, though for all I know our black flag
still was flying.
The three figures passed forward along the deck slowly and disappeared
down the front companion-stair which led to the cozy dining-room. I
could see them all sitting there, about my own table, using the very
silver and linen which I had had made for the Belle Helène, attended
by John, my Chinese cook and factotum, whom I had especially imported,
selected from among a thousand other Chinese by myself at Hankow. I
knew that Davidson would have champagne and a dozen other wines in
abundance, everything the market offered. A pleasant party, this of
three, which was seating itself at my table over yonder, while I, in a
grimy, dingy, little tub lay looking at them, helpless in the gloom!
Ah, villain, shrewd enough you were when you planned this trip for
Aunt Lucinda's health! Well enough you knew that of all places in the
world none equals a well equipped private yacht for the courting of a
maid. Why, if it be propinquity that does it, what chance had any man
on earth against this man, enjoying the privilege of propinquity of
propinquities, and adding thereto the weapons of every courtesy, every
little pleasure a man may show a maid? Trust Cal Davidson for all
that! I well-nigh gnashed my teeth in anger.