To Boyd Emerson she seemed like an angel of mercy, and he stood forth upon the deck of his launch searching her hungrily for the sight of a woman's figure. When he had first seen the ship rounding the point he had uttered a cry, then fallen silent watching her as she drew near, heedless of his surroundings. His heart was leaping, his breath was choking him. It seemed as if he must shout Mildred's name aloud and stretch his arms out to her. Of course, she would see him as _The Grande Dame_ passed--she would be looking for him, he knew. She would be standing there, wet with the dew, searching with all her eyes. Doubtless she had waited patiently at her post from the instant land came into sight. Seized by a sudden panic lest she pass him unnoticed, he ordered his launch near the yacht's course, where he could command a view of her cabin doors and the wicker chairs upon her deck. His eyes roved over the craft, but all he saw was a uniformed officer upon the bridge and the bronzed faces of the watch staring over the rail. By now _The Grande Dame_ was so close that he might have flung a line to her, and above the muffled throbbing of her engines he heard the captain give some low-spoken command. Yet nowhere could he catch a glimpse of Mildred. He saw close-drawn curtains over the cabin windows, indicating that the passengers were still asleep. Then, as he stood there, heavy-hearted, drooping with fatigue, his wet body chilled by the morning's breath, _The Grande Dame_ glided past, and he found the shell beneath his feet rocking in her wake. As he turned shoreward George Balt hailed him, and brought his own launch alongside. "What craft is that?" he inquired. "She is the Company's yacht with the N. A. P. A. officers aboard." The big fellow stared curiously after the retreating ship. "Some of our boys is hurt pretty bad," he observed. "I've told them to take in their nets and go back to the plant." "We all need breakfast." "I don't want nothing. I'm going over to the trap." Emerson shrugged his shoulders listlessly; he was very tired. "What is the use? It won't pay us to lift it." "I've watched that point of land for five years, and I never seen fish act this way before," Balt growled, stubbornly. "If they don't strike in to-day, we better close down. Marsh's men cut half our nets and crippled more than half our crew last night." He began to rumble curses. "Say! We made a mistake the other day, didn't we? We'd ought to have put that feller away. It ain't too late yet." "Wait! Wayne Wayland is aboard that yacht; I know him. He's a hard man, and I've heard strange stories about him, but I don't believe he knows all that Marsh has been doing. I'm going to see him and tell him everything." "S'pose he turns you down?" "Then there will be time enough to--to consider what you suggest. I don't like to think about it."