It was Barbara's keen eyes that detected my plaster, and I squirmed as I
saw the light of curiosity in her eyes.
"Oh, tell us how it happened!" she cried. "Please make it a night attack
upon the yacht, Mr. Verslun! I heard a wild cry just after I retired and
I felt sure that war canoes had surrounded us. They always surround the
ill-fated ship, don't they?" she continued merrily. "And the ship is
always ill-fated in all the really thrilling sea stories I have read!"
Leith came sauntering aft as she fired her questions at me, and he
stood near Miss Edith with his dull eyes fixed upon me as I answered.
"I'm afraid I cannot feed your imagination to-day," I replied. "I
tripped over a coil of rope, and the deck sprang up and bumped me."
I glanced at Leith as I spoke, and I fancied I detected a glint of
amusement in the lustreless eyes that were turned in my direction.
Whether it was caused by my hastily constructed lie or by the girl's
inquiries I could not tell, but my dislike for the clumsy giant made me
suspicious about his knowledge of the incident of the preceding evening,
and I felt certain that he was smiling at my fib.
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