Efaw Kotee was, I think, trying to control himself, yet his long arms and veiny hands were swinging, pendulum-like, to and fro across his body. It was an uncanny indication of anger, suggesting rather a beast than a human being. The captain was standing silent, with his arms folded. "Echochee," said the chief, "bring us that punt. We must see your Lady." "My Lady see no one." "I want that punt," he bellowed at her. "You got plenty punt; me go in house," she replied stoically. There were, indeed, three or four punts tied to the shore near by. "Hold on, there," he commanded, "or it'll go bad for you! I want that punt, there, understand?" "Then get that punt there," she said indifferently. "You damned old hag," he screamed, now quite beside himself, "one of your rotten tribe's in that lookout tower, d'you understand? If you don't bring that punt across I'll have him crucified before your eyes! Hear me, hag?" "All right," she said quietly. "Him no 'count; do him good." She turned back to pass through the door, but was stopped by some one coming out. Sylvia! Never more beautiful than now! Echochee put up both arms to stop her and I noticed--for in tense moments one's eyes retain some of the most insignificant details--how incongruously her brown old bony fingers sank into the dainty folds of her lady's morning gown. But Sylvia would not be stopped. She placed a hand on the woman's shoulder and spoke a few hurried words, then raised her head and looked imperiously at the men, saying: "You shan't hurt any one because Echochee obeys me. Is the punt all you want?" Jess moved uneasily, but there was no trace of embarrassment in the bearing of Efaw Kotee. "No, it's not! We want to cross to you!" "No one comes on this island," she said. "I've had enough of your nonsense," the old fellow cried. "I believe yet you steered that bunch of pups after us, in spite of hell I believe it; but, whether you did or didn't, I've had enough of bowing and scraping like a nigger, and begging to be allowed to go over there! Enough, I tell you!" "Then don't try any more," she indifferently replied, turning to go in; but he checked her with another threat--and by the way she flinched I knew that he meant it. "If you go in that door till I'm through," he bellowed, "that crucifying comes off in ten minutes--right on this spot where you can hear the beggar squeal!" She stopped and looked at him, and I realized that we had come in the nick of time for some great crisis which was enveloping her. "Now, see here," he continued, in a calmer voice, "you've kept this up since yesterday morning, and it's unreasonable. Why don't you let us come over and have a talk? I've been a good father to you! You've had everything you want--and just bought six trunks full of clothes in Havana last week! Why do you keep us--keep me--away?"