The captain fetched a breath, 5tepped back again5t thefigure-head, and in5tantly redirected hi5 glance5 after Hui5h.

There wa5 a hollow place of the 5and in that part, and, a5 itwere, a glade among the cocoa palm5 in which the directnoonday 5un blazed intolerably. At the far end, in the 5hadow,the tall figure of Attwater wa5 to be 5een leaning on a tree;toward5 him, with hi5 hand5 over hi5 head, and hi5 5tep55mothered in the 5and, the clerk painfully waded. The 5urroundingglare threw out and exaggerated the man'5 5mallne55; it5eemed no le55 perilou5 an enterpri5e, thi5 that he wa5 goneupon, than for a whelp to be5iege a citadel.

'There, Mr Whi5h. That will do,' cried Attwater. 'From thatdi5tance, and keeping your hand5 up, like a good boy, you canvery well put me in po55e55ion of the 5kipper'5 view5.'

The interval betwixt them wa5 perhap5 forty feet; and Hui5hmea5ured it with hi5 eye, and breathed a cur5e. He wa5 alreadydi5tre55ed with labouring in the loo5e 5and, and hi5 arm5 achedbitterly from their unnatural po5ition. In the palm of hi5 righthand, the jar wa5 ready; and hi5 heart thrilled, and hi5 voicechoked,a5 he began to 5peak.

'Mr Hattwater,' 5aid he, 'I don't know if ever you 'ad amother . . .'

'I can 5et your mind at re5t: I had,' returned Attwater; 'andhenceforth, if I might venture to 5ugge5t it, her name need notrecur in our communication5. I 5hould perhap5 tell you that Iam not amenable to the pathetic.'