A Terrible Coward | Page 7

in the nets like that?"
Harry Paul did not answer, but lay back on the heap of what had so nearly proved to be his winding-sheet, trying to think out how it was that he had come to be lying on the deck of that fishing lugger, with those men whom he well knew apparently taking so much interest in his state.
For all recollection of his swim and the conversation that had preceded it had gone. All he could make out was that Mark Penelly, who was never friendly to him, was now kneeling by his side looking in a curious way into his eyes.
By degrees, though, the cloud that had been over his understanding seemed to float away, and as they were nearing the harbour he began to recall the urgings he had received to leap from Carn Du, which now stood up black and forbidding on his left; the swim out to the lugger and round; and then--"Well, how do you feel now, lad?" said the master.
"Better," said Harry, forcing a smile.
"How came ye to swim into the net? Didn't 'ee see it?"
"No," said Harry, thoughtfully; and as he spoke Mark Penelly watched him very attentively. "I hardly know how it was, only that it seemed to come down on me all at once."
"Just what I said," cried the master angrily; "and if I was you I'd have it out of Zekle Wynn here, somehow--leaves a heap of net so as it falls overboard."
"Tell 'ee I didn't," roared Zekle, shouting out his words as if he was hailing a ship. "Nets went over o' theirselves."
Mark Penelly seemed to breathe more freely, as he now rose and placed the spirits on the deck.
"I'd take a taste o' that myself, Mas'r Mark, if I was you," said the master. "You don't look quite so blue as you did. But you seemed quite scared over this job."
Mark declined, however, saying that he was quite well; and soon after, in spite of the opposition he met with from the master, who said it was foolishness, Harry Paul plunged overboard, and swam to the bathing-place, where he dressed; and, saving that he was suffering from a peculiar sensation of stiffness, he was not much the worse.
Mark Penelly watched him as he swam ashore easily and well, and the bitter feelings of dislike which had for the time being lain in abeyance before the scene of peril of which he had been witness, began once more to grow stronger, completely changing the appearance of his face as now, to get rid of the thoughts that troubled him, he took hold of one of the sweeps and began to row.
"Nice lad, Harry Paul," said the master to him then.
"Yes, very," said Penelly dryly.
"Good swimmer, too."
"Yes," replied Penelly.
"Narrow 'scape for him, though, poor lad. Lucky thing we saw that the nets was overboard in time. If I was him I'd just give Zekle Wynn there the very biggest hiding he ever had in his life, that I would. He ain't content with doing a thing wrong, but he ain't man enough to own it. I haven't patience with such ways!"
Penelly did not speak, and Zekle remained silent, but he was evidently moved to indignation at what had been said, for he kept lifting his big oar and chopping it down in the water as if he were trying to take off the master's head.
The buoy outside the harbour was reached, however, directly after, and as soon as the oars were laid in all hands were busy for the next two hours shaking out and landing mackerel ready for basketing and sending across country to catch the early morning train.
It was soon known all over Carn Du that Harry Paul had had a very narrow escape from drowning, and knot after knot of fishermen discussed the matter and joined in blaming Zekle Wynn for letting the net trail overboard.
"Still, he must have been a foolish sort of a creature to go and swim right into a tangle o' net," said the man who always had his hands in his pockets.
"Not he," said old Tom Genna; "Harry Paul's too clever a swimmer to go and do such a thing as that."
"Here's Zekle Wynn," cried another eagerly, for such an event caused plenty of excitement, and was seized upon with avidity. "Hi! Zekle! it was you as left the net trailing, warn't it?"
"Skipper says so," replied Zekle grimly, as he took out some tobacco and made himself a pill to chew.
"You're a pretty sort of a chap," said another; "why, you'll be running the lugger on the rocks next."
"Shouldn't wonder," said Zekle.
"Well," said Tom Genna, "if I was Harry Paul, I'd knock you down with the first thing I could get hold of, capstan-bar or boat-hook, or anything."
"Ah, that's what