They waited until the red light became fairly stationary, showing that the steamer had been laid-to. Then they ran for the beach and took up their position on the line between the glow of their fire and the position of the ship, guessing that in this way they would be on the spot where the ship's boat would be most likely to touch the shore. "McTee," said Harrigan, "it may be half an hour before that boat reaches the beach. Is there any reason why both of us should go aboard it?" "Harrigan, there is none! Stand up to me." "If you do this," broke in Kate, "I will bring the sailors who come ashore to the spot where the dead man lies, and I'll tell how he died." They looked at her, knowing that she could be trusted to fulfill that threat. The moon lay on the beauty of her face; never had she seemed so desirable. They looked to each other, and each seemed doubly hateful to the other. "Kate, dear," said Harrigan hastily, "I see the boat come tossin' there over the water. Speak out like a brave girl. Neither of us will leave the other in peace as long as we have a hope of you. Choose between us before we put a foot in that boat, and if you choose McTee, I'll give you God's blessin' an' say no more nor ever raise my hand against ye. McTee, will ye do the like?" "For the sake of the day of the fight and the wreck I will. If she chooses you now, I'll raise no hand against you." A shout came faintly across the rush and ripple of the breakers. "Speak out," said Harrigan. "Hallo!" she screamed in answer to the hail from the boat, and then turning to them: "I choose neither of you!" "McTee," growled Harrigan, "I'm thinkin' we've both been fools." "Think what you will, I'll have her; and if you cross me again, I'll finish you, Harrigan." "McTee, ten of your like couldn't finish me. But look! There's the girl wadin' out to the boat. Let's steady her through the waves." They ran out and, catching her beneath the shoulders, bore her safe and high through the small rollers. When they were waist-deep, the boat swung near. A lantern was raised by the man in the bows, and under that light they saw the four men at the oars, now backing water to keep their boat from washing to the beach. The sailors cheered as the two men swung Kate over the gunwale and then clambered in after her. The man at the bows all this time had kept his lantern high above his head with a rigid arm, and now he bellowed: "Black McTee!" "Right!" said McTee. "And you?" "Salvain--put back for the ship, lads--Pietro Salvain. D'you mean to say you've forgotten me?" "Shanghai!" said McTee, as light broke on his memory. "What a night that was." "But you--" "The _Mary Rogers_ took a header for Davy Jones's locker; first mate drunk and ran her on a reef; all hands went under except the three of us; we drifted to this island." "Black McTee shipwrecked! By God, if we get to port with our old tramp, I'll get a farm and stick to dry land." "Your ship?"