"_You'll_ bind it up!" she exclaimed. "You'll do nothing of the kind. You'll come right in here and let me fix that poor head for you." She drew him in and he went unresistingly, glad to yield to her gentle tyranny. Ruth found warm water, ointment, lint and bandages, and deftly bound up the wound. She was a sailor's daughter, and an adept in first aid to the wounded. Her soft hands touched his face and head, her eyes were dewy with sympathy, and Drew found himself rejoicing at the accident that had brought him this boon. She had never been so close to him before, and he was sorry when the operation was ended. "Through so soon?" he asked regretfully. She laughed merrily. She could laugh now. "I can take the bandage off and start all over again if you say so," she said mischievously. "Do," he begged. "Be sensible," she commanded. "Go at once now and get to bed. Remember, you're my patient and must obey orders." She shook her finger at him and tried to frown with portentous severity. But the dancing eyes and mutinous dimple belied the frown. "If you're my nurse, I'm going to be sick for a long time," he warned her. He tried to grasp the menacing finger, but she eluded him and playfully drove him out of the room. The sun was shining brightly through the porthole of his room when he awoke the next morning, and on reaching for his watch he found that he had waked later than usual. He dressed himself quickly. He felt a little light-headed from the effect of his wound, but nothing more. There was an exclamation of alarm from Tyke and the captain when they saw his bandaged head. "Only a cut," said Allen lightly. And he briefly narrated the details of his misadventure. "Lucky it was no worse," commented Tyke. "Wasn't there any one near by at that time?" asked the captain. "Why----" began Drew, and stopped. To say that Parmalee had been near him would have been an indictment of the former for his seeming heartlessness. He did not want to take advantage of his absent rival. "If there had been, he'd have certainly picked me up," he evaded, rather lamely. Ruth greeted him in her usual gay and gracious manner, but he sought in vain for any trace of the tenderness of the night before. She was on her guard again. "How is my patient this morning?" she smiled. "Fine," he answered. "If you ever want any recommendation as a nurse you can refer to me. Only I wouldn't give it," he added. "Why not?" she asked. "Because I want to be your only patient." She hastened to get off perilous ground. "I wonder what's keeping Mr. Parmalee this morning," she observed. "He's even more of a sleepy head than you are." "Tired out, I guess," conjectured the captain. "This storm has used us all up pretty well." Ruth summoned Namco and told him to knock on Mr. Parmalee's door. The Japanese was back in a minute. "Honorable gent no ansler," he reported. "That's queer," remarked the captain. "I'll step there myself."