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With a shudder of disgust she clambered above, and to the best of her ability
closed and made fast the hatch above the heads of the sleeping guard. Next she
sought the galley and food, and, having appeased her hunger, she took her place
on deck, determined that none should board the Kincaid without first having
agreed to her demands.
For an hour or so nothing appeared upon the surface of the river to cause her
alarm, but then, about a bend up-stream, she saw a canoe appear in which sat a
single figure. It had not proceeded far in her direction before she recognized the
occupant as Rokoff, and when the fellow attempted to board he found a rifle
staring him in the face.
When the Russian discovered who it was that repelled his advance he became
furious, cursing and threatening in a most horrible manner; but, finding that
these tactics failed to frighten or move the girl, he at last fell to pleading and
promising.
Jane had but a single reply for his every proposition, and that was that nothing
would ever persuade her to permit Rokoff upon the same vessel with her. That
she would put her threats into action and shoot him should he persist in his
endeavour to board the ship he was convinced.
So, as there was no other alternative, the great coward dropped back into his
dugout and, at imminent risk of being swept to sea, finally succeeded in making
the shore far down the bay and upon the opposite side from that on which the
horde of beasts stood snarling and roaring.
Jane Clayton knew that the fellow could not alone and unaided bring his heavy
craft back up-stream to the Kincaid, and so she had no further fear of an attack
by him. The hideous crew upon the shore she thought she recognized as the
same that had passed her in the jungle far up the Ugambi several days before, for
it seemed quite beyond reason that there should be more than one such a
strangely assorted pack; but what had brought them down-stream to the mouth
of the river she could not imagine.
Toward the day's close the girl was suddenly alarmed by the shouting of the
Russian from the opposite bank of the stream, and a moment later, following the
direction of his gaze, she was terrified to see a ship's boat approaching from up-
stream, in which, she felt assured, there could be only members of the Kincaid's
missing crew--only heartless ruffians and enemies.
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