Part 16 (2/2)
Then the shout of McTee rang joyously: ”A s.h.i.+p!”
”The fire!” answered Harrigan, and pointed back to the hill, for Kate had allowed the flames to fall in their absence.
All thought of the battle left them. They started back on the run to build high their signal light, and when they came to the top of the hill, they found Kate lying as they had left her. She started to her knees at the sound of their footsteps and stretched out her arms to them.
”G.o.d has sent you back to me!”
”A s.h.i.+p!” thundered McTee for answer, and he flung a great armful of wood upon the blaze. It rose with a rush, leaping and crackling, but all three kept at their work until the pile of wood was higher than their heads. Only when the supply of dry fuel was exhausted did they pause to look out to sea. In place of the one eye of white there were three lights, one of white, one of red, and one of green--the lights of a s.h.i.+p running in toward land.
In a moment the moon slipped up above the eastern waters, and right across that broad white circle moved a s.h.i.+p with the smoke streaming back from her funnel. Unquestionably the captain had seen the signal fire and understood its meaning.
They waited until the red light became fairly stationary, showing that the steamer had been laid-to. Then they ran for the beach and took up their position on the line between the glow of their fire and the position of the s.h.i.+p, guessing that in this way they would be on the spot where the s.h.i.+p's boat would be most likely to touch the sh.o.r.e.
”McTee,” said Harrigan, ”it may be half an hour before that boat reaches the beach. Is there any reason why both of us should go aboard it?”
”Harrigan, there is none! Stand up to me.”
”If you do this,” broke in Kate, ”I will bring the sailors who come ash.o.r.e to the spot where the dead man lies, and I'll tell how he died.”
They looked at her, knowing that she could be trusted to fulfill that threat. The moon lay on the beauty of her face; never had she seemed so desirable. They looked to each other, and each seemed doubly hateful to the other.
”Kate, dear,” said Harrigan hastily, ”I see the boat come tossin' there over the water. Speak out like a brave girl. Neither of us will leave the other in peace as long as we have a hope of you. Choose between us before we put a foot in that boat, and if you choose McTee, I'll give you G.o.d's blessin' an' say no more nor ever raise my hand against ye.
McTee, will ye do the like?”
”For the sake of the day of the fight and the wreck I will. If she chooses you now, I'll raise no hand against you.”
A shout came faintly across the rush and ripple of the breakers.
”Speak out,” said Harrigan.
”Hallo!” she screamed in answer to the hail from the boat, and then turning to them: ”I choose neither of you!”
”McTee,” growled Harrigan, ”I'm thinkin' we've both been fools.”
”Think what you will, I'll have her; and if you cross me again, I'll finish you, Harrigan.”
”McTee, ten of your like couldn't finish me. But look! There's the girl wadin' out to the boat. Let's steady her through the waves.”
They ran out and, catching her beneath the shoulders, bore her safe and high through the small rollers. When they were waist-deep, the boat swung near. A lantern was raised by the man in the bows, and under that light they saw the four men at the oars, now backing water to keep their boat from was.h.i.+ng to the beach. The sailors cheered as the two men swung Kate over the gunwale and then clambered in after her. The man at the bows all this time had kept his lantern high above his head with a rigid arm, and now he bellowed: ”Black McTee!”
”Right!” said McTee. ”And you?”
”Salvain--put back for the s.h.i.+p, lads--Pietro Salvain. D'you mean to say you've forgotten me?”
”Shanghai!” said McTee, as light broke on his memory. ”What a night that was.”
”But you--”
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