“Yes.”
I expected her to shrink, to demand that she be sent back to the City of Nome.
Instead, she looked around calmly, looked out upon the sea, at the rough faces of the men who were staring at her curiously, at the free sweep of the Wanderer’s deck and said with quiet resignation—
“Oh, how jolly!”
XIV
Captain Brack and Riordan had joined the men by the time Chanler returned from showing Miss Baldwin to her stateroom. The entire crew of the Wanderer now was assembled, and Chanler ran his eyes nervously over the group.
“Cappy,” he said, “what is the meaning of this?”
Brack stepped forward.
“Mr. Chanler,” he said solemnly, “it has become necessary to tell you that this crew will not go to Petroff Sound—directly, at least.”
Chanler looked around. The men were standing in a semicircle about him, watching him menacingly.