Spice and the Devil's Cave by Agnes Danforth Hewes

followed along behind them, turning my brains inside out for the answer. Finally, we got down to the water-front and I could see there was a heavy sea running. The tall chap walked her right along to a beached skiff, with a man in it, who grinned when his eyes lighted on her – and then my mind was made up: I was going where she went!”
    There was a restless stir through the room, and men’s eyes avoided meeting.
    â€œJust as the Moor lifted her into the boat, she looked off at the water, and her face changed-as if lightning had flashed in the dark. Remember what happened, then?” he asked the Girl.
    She drew a long, tremulous breath. “I meant to jump into the water,” she said, in a low voice.
    â€œThe Moor saw what was up, too,” Scander continued, “and in a minute he’d put her into the stern, and was holding her arms. I could have praised Allah, for then I knew the other chap couldn’t make it alone, through that sea. ‘Need another hand, Chief?’ says I, with my heart in my throat, and before he even nodded, I shoved off the boat and scrambled in. The two men looked at me queer-like, and then sidewise at each other. ‘Where to?’ I asked, and they pointed out a fair-sized vessel that wasn’t flying any colours, and I had a mind to ask why, but I thought better of it.
    â€œI can handle a sail if I do say it, and I did my prettiest that day, so I wasn’t surprised when they asked if I minded rough weather. ‘The sea and I are like sweethearts’ said I, and they grinned and wanted to know if I’d ever had a pilot’s job. ‘Twas my specialty, I told them!
    â€œAll the time this girl, here, never made a move; just sat there, head down; but I noticed he never quit watching her, never took his hands off her, either.
    â€œWhen we came alongside I saw the ship’s name was the Sultana . I made fast, and asked what to do with the skiff. ‘Could you take us out? ’ said the tall chap, jerking his head toward the big craft. ‘Sure job?’ I asks, and he nodded, and then the two of them laughed. By this time the rail above us was thick with faces grinning down on us.” Scander paused, with a significant look. “Five minutes after the girl was lifted aboard, I was there, too, skiff all shipshape and lashed down.
    â€œThe crew looked me over pretty sharp – as rough a gang as I ever saw. I edged forward as near as I dared to where she was standing between the tall fellow and an – other, who was older, and shorter by a head, but square-built and powerful. Moorish, too, he was. For all anyone could tell she might have been a corpse, with her face like ashes, and eyes blind-like. I listened a bit, and I made out they were talking a mixture of Franji and Arabic.
    â€œâ€˜With a jewel like this,’ the tall chap was saying, ‘we can make what terms we want, anywhere.’ What did he mean? – and I edged nearer. ‘The Sultan himself wouldn’t be contemptuous of such a prize,’ the older man answered, ‘and we might even get a post in the royal navy out of it, Abdul, my boy! Shall we make the run to Constantinople, and bargain?’ Abdul – the tall chap – looked up, surprised-like, and the other one threw back his head and laughed and laughed; and I didn’t know why, but I wanted to kick him. Then Abdul says, easy and smiling – like one that’s been caught off his guard but doesn’t mean to be caught again – ’ First, though, Captain, you recollect we’ve an appointment at Tripoli with the San Marco , bound out of Venice.’”
    The Girl glanced up, and a look of understanding flashed between them.
    â€œWhat?” Nicolo was asking, in a puzzled tone. “The San Marco , from Venice, did you say?”
    Scander surveyed him in surprise. “Yes, why?”
    Nothing. Go on,” with a careless gesture that contradicted a