made, standin' out on this dock, many a day an' night, in the cold
an' wet, with nothin' between Tom's children an' the street but
these two hands--an' yet ye'd slink in like a dog to get me"--

"Here, now, I ain't a-goin' to have no row," said Lathers,
twitching his shoulders. "It's against orders, an' I'll call the
yard-watch, and throw you out if you make any fuss."

"The yard-watch!" said Tom, with a look of supreme contempt. "I
can handle any two of 'em, an' ye too, an' ye know it." Her
cheeks were aflame. She crowded Lathers so closely his slinking
figure hugged the fence.

By this time the gang had abandoned the buoy, and were standing
aghast, watching the fury of the Amazon.

"Now, see here, don't make a muss; the commandant'll be down here
in a minute."

"Let him come; he's the one I want to see. If he knew he had a
man in his pay that would do as dirty a trick to a woman as ye've
done to me, his name would be Dinnis. I'll see him meself this
very day, and"--

Here Lathers interrupted with an angry gesture.

"Don't ye lift yer arm at me," she blazes out, "or I'll break it
at the wrist!"

Lathers's hand dropped. All the color was out of his face, his