The Voyage of the Arrow to the China Seas.: Its Adventures and Perils, Including Its Capture by Sea Vultures from the Countess of Warwick, as Set Down by William Gore, Chief MateHains, T. Jenkins (Thornton Jenkins)
General
The Voyage of the Arrow to the China Seas.: Its Adventures and Perils, Including Its Capture by Sea Vultures from the Countess of Warwick, as Set Down by William Gore, Chief Mate
After settling the score, we walked up the street, which was still
filled with people, and were just about to enter the park when a crowd
forming on the sidewalk on the block beyond attracted our attention.
“‘Tis a bit av a fracas, maybe,” said O’Toole. “Let’s have a look at it
and take a hand--if necessary.”
We made our way quickly along the pavement and forced ourselves through
the crowd of gaping people.
A man was lying in the centre of the crowd, and his head was pillowed in
a woman’s lap. His pale face was upturned, and the woman wiped away the
blood that flowed from a gash in his forehead upon her clean white
handkerchief.
“Stand back, please, and give him air,” she cried, and her voice made me
jump and start forward. Every nerve in me seemed to throb at the sound.
But the people only crowded closer. I could not see the woman’s face,
for her back was turned toward me, but I recognized her voice quick
enough. Taking a brace against the huge form of O’Toole, I shoved with
all my strength against the crowd, and together we managed to force a
gap of a few paces in extent about the fallen man. The next instant an
ambulance came driving up at full speed. Several officers leaped out and
tore their way through the jam of curious people to the injured man’s
side. They raised him quickly, bore him to the wagon, and drove rapidly
away.
“Knocked down and run over,” some one said in a low tone, as I turned to
where the woman now stood with a policeman beside her.
“Who was it?” the officer asked her.
“I don’t know.”
“What is your name?”
“I have no name,” she answered, quietly, and was gone in the crowd
before the policeman thought to detain her.
In an instant I was after her and caught her.
“Alice--Miss Waters!” I cried, and I seized her arm.
She turned at the sound of my voice as if shot.
“Let me go! Oh, please let me go, Mr. Gore,” she pleaded, and I saw her
face flush and her eyes fill up.
“Not unless you’ll come with me to Mr. Ropesend’s house--or tell where
you live,” I answered, but, at the same time, I did let go her arm.
“Oh, I can’t. I can’t do it, I tell you, so please go away. You have no
right to stop me. Oh, please go away.” And she broke into sobbing and
crying like a child.
That was enough. I passed my arm through hers and led her out of the
crowd and up the street.
“I shall see you home,” said I, “and I will not leave you until you
promise to let me see you in the morning.”
She went along quietly enough at first, and then suddenly burst out
afresh into such a violent fit of crying that I was frightened.
“Let me go. Let me go, please,” she sobbed, and I was so upset at the
earnest tone of her voice that I almost hesitated and started to turn
around.
Then I saw a sturdy, bow-legged form dragging a great, tall giant along
the pavement close behind me.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account