"Not on your life," said Dodge the Oracle. "They know how to look out
for number one. You just watch 'em." Even as he spoke the small skiff
darted impudently into the very shadow of their looming bulk, and sped
off again like a swallow. Two impassive brown faces lifted for an
instant from the great shining heap of bonito in the bottom of the boat,
and were lowered.
"Not much floral-anchor business about those two, eh, Captain?" asked
Mr. Todd, genially, of that magnate, as he strolled toward them.
"I admit the coast population to be amphibious," laughed the Captain,
"but you can't make admirals out of fishermen. Miss Gwendolen, it will
soon be time to look for Few-ji."
"Oh, oh!" cried Gwendolen again. She was made up, this morning, of
wind-tossed golden hair and expletives. "Certainly no one ever saw it,
truly, at such a distance!"
"I have," boasted Dodge. "On a clear day I've seen the thing a hundred
miles off, when it looked like a little white tee on a blue golf links,
don't you know."
"Golf links!" echoed Gwendolen. "What an unworthy simile!"
"Why not links?--first-class thing, a good links! Don't you play, Miss
Todd?"
"No," answered Gwendolen, truthfully, "I don't play, but I like to pose,
the costumes are so utterly fetching; and I dote on standing with my
driver behind me, like girls in illustrated picture papers."
She turned to search the shimmering horizon for the vision it would not
yield. "Oh, where is that mountain! I wish Yuki would come. It might
appear directly for Yuki-ko."
"Here is Yuki," said the low, strange voice that could have belonged to
no other.
Gwendolen seized her. "Good-morning, Miss Onda," smiled Dodge. "Now we
are all fit. Kindly invoke your enchanted summit to our wondering gaze.
I have been told that it was bad luck to land after a long journey
without a glimpse of Fuji-san."
"I think the bad luck for only Nipponese," said Yuki.
"And the good luck too, I presume, if it turns that way? How
inhospitable!"
"Yes, I think so. The good luck and the bad luck," was Yuki's serious
reply.
Pierre, strolling at the rear end of the passenger deck, must have seen
Yuki. He made no sign, however, and continued to stroll alone, smoking
cigarettes, with a pleasant look or reply for any chance acquaintance,
but a mind evidently involved in its own problems.
Neither of the girls saw him. They leaned together now upon the rail.
Gwendolen had an arm about her friend. Together they stared out toward
the land. Dodge had been called away. Mr. and Mrs. Todd were seated, the
former carefully counting out bills for various "tips" soon to be
distributed. The schoolmates were practically alone.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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