. . . Stand close in the cage. . . . Feel her
swing!--Safe, you bet, if he stands by the lever. . . ."
His face lighted with the last gleam of living, and he said slowly: "I
hev a pal--at Danger Mountain."
CHAPTER XV
IN THE TROUGH OF THE WINDS
The three days following the events recorded in the preceding chapter
were notable to us all. Because my own affairs and experiences are of the
least account, I shall record them first: they will at least throw a
little light on the history of people who appeared previously in this
tale, and disappeared suddenly when the 'Fulvia' reached London, to make
room for others.
The day after Phil Boldrick's death I received a letter from Hungerford,
and also one from Belle Treherne. Hungerford had left the Occidental
Company's service, and had been fortunate enough to get the position of
first officer on a line of steamers running between England and the West
Indies. The letter was brusque, incisive, and forceful, and declared
that, once he got his foot firmly planted in his new position, he would
get married and be done with it. He said that Clovelly the novelist had
given a little dinner at his chambers in Piccadilly, and that the guests
were all our fellow-passengers by the 'Fulvia'; among them Colonel Ryder,
the bookmaker, Blackburn the Queenslander, and himself.
Pages:
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315