Excerpt: ... are, where you said you jumped in after me. They'll soon see who's telling the truth." "He'll do that," said Mr. Smith, with conviction. For a fraction of a second Mr. Dix hesitated, then, with a steady glance at Miss Smith, he sprang to his feet and accepted the challenge. Mrs. Smith besought him not to be foolish, and, with a vague idea of dissuading him, told him a slanderous anecdote concerning Mr. Heard's aunt. Her daughter gazed at the mate with proud confidence, and, taking his arm, bade her mother to ...
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Excerpt: ... are, where you said you jumped in after me. They'll soon see who's telling the truth." "He'll do that," said Mr. Smith, with conviction. For a fraction of a second Mr. Dix hesitated, then, with a steady glance at Miss Smith, he sprang to his feet and accepted the challenge. Mrs. Smith besought him not to be foolish, and, with a vague idea of dissuading him, told him a slanderous anecdote concerning Mr. Heard's aunt. Her daughter gazed at the mate with proud confidence, and, taking his arm, bade her mother to get some dry clothes ready and led the way to the harbor. The night was fine but dark, and a chill breeze blew up from the sea. Twice the hapless mate thought of backing out, but a glance at Miss Smith's profile and the tender pressure of her arm deterred him. The tide was running out and he had a faint hope that he might keep afloat long enough to be washed ashore alive. He talked rapidly, and his laugh rang across the water. Arrived at the spot they stopped, and Miss Smith looking down into the darkness was unable to repress a shiver. "Be careful, Fred," she said, laying her hand upon his arm. The mate looked at her oddly. "All right," he said, gayly, "I'll be out almost before I'm in. You run back to the house and help your mother get the dry clothes ready for me." His tones were so confident, and his laugh so buoyant, that Mr. Heard, who had been fully expecting him to withdraw from the affair, began to feel that he had under-rated his swimming powers. "Just jumping in and swimming out again is not quite the same as saving a drownding man," he said, with a sneer. In a flash the mate saw a chance of escape. "Why, there's no satisfying you," he said, slowly. "If I do go in I can see that you won't own up that you've been lying." "He'll 'ave to," said Mr. Smith, who, having made up his mind for a little excitement, was in no mind to lose it. "I don't believe he would," said the mate. "Look here!" he said, suddenly, as he laid an affectionate...
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