"You will not be long, captain?" asked Emily as Lavelle paused to look back at her in leaving the crest of the hill.
"No longer than is absolutely necessary."
"And you—you will be careful," she warned, and unashamed of the tremulous note of anxiety which crept into her voice. He nodded. This man's presence had become very necessary—very precious to her.
"It's your watch on deck, you know," Lavelle called cheerfully. Then, with a quizzical lowering of his brows and in a tone of pretended sternness, he added: "Hold your course. Steady as you go—and keep a sharp lookout."
"Aye, aye, sir," she answered, simulating the speech and manner of a sailor to an officer.
"You make him velly good sailor man," Chang chuckled in delight.
"We'll be back in a jiffy," said Lavelle. With that he and Chang swung away down the hill.
Emily went to the edge of the slope and watched them descend, the yellow man always leaping ahead to test and examine the ground. At the foot Lavelle looked back. He paused upon discovering the watcher and waved to her. An impulse to follow him seized her, but remembering that he had intrusted her with the lookout she overcame it. With a wave of the hand she answered his signal of cheer, and as through a mist saw him go away from her across the meadow toward the lone tree.