And then, with a chilling inspiration, Christobal knew why the
chief officer had caused him to miss the hour for relieving the watch.
Boyle had seen those two together, and had planned to leave them
undisturbed!
The Spaniard was a dignified man; he had inherited from his English
mother a saving sense of humor. It was intolerable that the pleasant
relations existing between the few survivors on board the Kansas should
be disturbed by reason of any failure on his part to acquiesce in
Elsie's right to bestow her affections where she listed. He wondered
if the girl had come on deck after supper; her habit was to retire
early, as she rose soon after the sun. He had seen her for a moment
only in passing out of the saloon, and there was a suspicious
brightness in her eyes for which solicitude on the dog's behalf would
hardly account. Why not put his fortunes to the test that night and
have done with it? Yes, that was the right course. He would cease
this petty watchfulness, this campaign of planning and contriving lest
others should monopolize more of her smiles and pleasant words than he.
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