Blix drew a long, tremulous breath and sat back upon the upturned
box, looking around her as though she had but that moment been
awakened.
"Yes, sir," said the Captain, rolling a cigarette. "Yes, sir,
those were great days. Get down there around the line in those
little, out-o'-the-way republics along the South American coast,
and things happen to you. You hold a man's life in the crook of
your forefinger, an' nothing's done by halves. If you hate a man,
you lay awake nights biting your mattress, just thinking how you
hate him; an' if you love a woman--good Lord, how you do LOVE
her!"
"But--but!" exclaimed Condy, "I don't see how you can want to do
anything else. Why, you're living sixty to the minute when you're
playing a game like that!"
"Oh, I ain't dead yet!" answered the Captain. "I got a few
schemes left that I could get fun out of."
"How can you wait a minute!" exclaimed Blix breathlessly. "Why
don't you get a ship right away--to-morrow--and go right off on
some other adventure?"
"Well, I can't just now," returned the Captain, blowing the smoke
from his cigarette through his ears. "There's a good many
reasons; one of 'em is that I've just been married."
Chapter X
Mum--mar--married! gasped Condy, swallowing something in his
throat.
Blix rose to her feet.
"Just been MARRIED!" she repeated, a little frightened. "Why--
why--why; how DELIGHTFUL!"
"Yes--yes," mumbled Condy.
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