“Lie down, you women, at once,” he roared, bracing his feet against the cleat and hanging back upon the end of the rope.
Hilda obeyed instantly, but Miss Hemster, with the Countess clinging to her, stood dazed, while I sprang forward and caught her, breaking the fall as much as was possible, all three of us coming down in a heap with myself underneath. The rope had tightened like a rod, and had either to break, jerk the tug backward out of the water, or swing us around, which latter it did, taking the yacht from under us with a suddenness that instantly overcame all equilibrium, and in a jiffy we were at right angles to our former position, while the black hulk scraped harmlessly along our side. Even now no one appeared on the deck of the Chinese steamer, but after running a hundred yards nearer the city she slowly swerved around, heading outward again, and I thought she was about to escape; but instead of that she came to a standstill a quarter of a mile or so from our position and there coolly dropped anchor.
I helped the ladies to their feet again, inquiring if they were hurt, and Miss Hemster replied with a sweet smile that, thanks to me, she was not. The Countess showed signs of hysterics with which I could not deal, therefore I turned my attention to Hilda, who by this time had scrambled up, looking rather pale and frightened. Mr. Hemster’s chair had been swung with a crash against the bulwarks, and he had been compelled to take his feet down from the rail, but beyond that he kept his old position, chewing industriously at his unlit cigar. The captain was in a ludicrously pitiable position because of a red-hot Cape Cod rage and his inability to relieve his feelings by swearing on account of the ladies being present. Hilda noticed this and cried with a little quivering laugh:
“Don’t mind us, captain; say what you want to, and it is quite likely we will agree with you.”
The captain shook his huge fist at the big steamer now rounding to her anchorage.
“You can say what you please,” he shouted; “that was no accident; it was intended. That damned,—I beg your pardon, ladies,—that chap tried to run us down, and I’ll have the law of him, dod-blast-him,—excuse me, ladies,—if there’s any law in this God-forsaken hole!”
Mr. Hemster very calmly shoved his chair back to its former position, and put his feet once more on the rail, then he beckoned to the captain, and when that angry hero reached his side he said imperturbably, as if nothing had happened:
“Captain, there’s no use swearing. Besides, so capable a man as you never needs to swear. In that half minute you earned ten thousand dollars, and I’ll make it more if you don’t think it enough.”
“Nonsense,” protested the captain, “it’s all in the day’s work: a lucky throw of the rope, that’s all.”