The Unknown Wrestler Part 2

"I know I did, Jean, but we must wait a while," was the reply.

"But we cannot wait," the woman urged. "You know how serious it is if we delay much longer. All will know, and I shall be disgraced."

"Tut, tut," and the man stamped angrily upon the floor of the dock.

"Don't talk so foolishly. A few weeks won't make any difference."

"How long do you think?" the woman asked.

"Oh, five or six, I should imagine."

"No, I tell you that will be too late. It must not be longer than two.

Promise me that it will not be more than that."

"Well, I promise," the man slowly a.s.sented.

"Swear to it, then," the woman demanded. "Place your left hand upon your heart, and hold your right hand up to heaven, and swear by Him who is watching and listening that you will be true to your word."

A coa.r.s.e, brutal laugh came from the man's lips.

"Won't you believe me?" he demanded.

"Not unless you swear."

"Well, I won't, so that's the end of it."

At these words the woman gave a low moan, and what she said Douglas could not hear. Whatever it was it made the man angry and he again stamped his foot.

"What do I care?" he growled. "You can go to the snivelling old idiot and tell him all you want to."

"Oh, Ben!" and the woman laid a hand upon his arm, "how can you say such things?"

With a curse he flung her hand away, and then in a twinkling he gave her a push, and before she could recover herself she had gone backwards over the edge of the dock. With a frightened cry she disappeared, and the man, instead of trying to rescue her, leaped aside and vanished into the darkness.

All this happened so quickly that Douglas hardly realised what had taken place before it was all over. His first impulse was to spring after the man who had committed the cowardly deed. But the thought of the woman down there in the water deterred him and caused him to hasten at once to her a.s.sistance. Anxiously he peered over the edge, and at length saw a hand thrust above the surface. It took him but an instant to tear off his coat and hurl himself into the water below. A few powerful strokes brought him close to the woman, and he was enabled to reach out and clutch her with a firm grip ere she again disappeared.

Fortunate it was for him that he was a strong swimmer, and he was thus able to hold the woman's head above water while he slowly worked his way toward the lower side of the dock, where he hoped to find a landing place. He had not proceeded far, however, ere a rowboat shot suddenly out from the sh.o.r.e, and a deep voice hailed him.

"Hold on a minute!" was the order. Soon the boat was near, and both Douglas and the woman were hauled aboard.

"What have ye got there? A woman?" the boatman asked.

"Yes," was the brief response.

"Thought so," the rescuer laconically remarked. "Screamed when she went over, didn't she?"

"Yes."

"I thought so. They all do that. It was her I heard all right."

"What, is such a case as this common?" Douglas asked in surprise.

"Well, I couldn't say it is common, but forty odd years in and around this harbour afford one some queer sights. But here we are."

The boatman swung his craft around and drew it up by the side of a tugboat which was lying at its wharf. It did not take long to lift the woman from the rowboat up to the deck above.

"Have you a light?" Douglas enquired. "I want to see whether this woman is dead or alive."

"Oh, she's alive all right," was the reply. "Ye can't knock the likes of her out with a little dip like that. But I'll get the light, if ye want it."

It did not take the old man long to bring a lantern, and when the light fell upon the woman's face she moved her head and gave a slight moan.

"She's all right," the boatman remarked. "The best thing to do is to phone fer the ambulance. The hospital's the place fer her. She'll have a decent place fer the night, anyway, and they'll fix her up there. There's a phone in the drug-store just around the corner."

Douglas realised that this was the best course to pursue and, wet though he was, he sprang ash.o.r.e and hurried up the street. It took him only a few minutes to reach the drug-store, where he sent in a hurry call for the ambulance. He paid no attention to the curious looks cast upon his drenched figure by several people who were standing near. In fact, he had forgotten how wet he was, so interested was he in obtaining aid for the unfortunate woman as speedily as possible.

Upon his return to the tug, he found the old man keeping guard.

"How is she now?" he asked.

"Ye can see fer yourself," and the boatman swung around his lantern as he spoke.

Douglas now had more time to observe the face of the woman before him.

Her head, resting on an old coat, turned slightly to one side, was partly covered by a wealth of jet-black hair, forming a striking contrast to the face which was so very white. It was a face of considerable beauty, though lines of care were plainly visible. She seemed but a girl lying there, and as Douglas looked at her an intense anger smote his soul, and he longed to lay his hands upon the wretch who had tried to destroy her.

"Why are such brutes allowed their freedom?" he asked turning toward the boatman.

"Hey, what is that you say?" was the reply.

"I wonder why human brutes are permitted to have their freedom, and injure a woman such as that?"

"You saw the deed, then?"

"Yes, I happened to be on the dock over there, when she was pushed into the water by her companion. He disappeared before I could get my hands on him."

"Oh, that is always the way. The women are the ones who suffer while the men get scot-free. But, say, here is the car now."

It did not take long to transfer the woman from the tug to the ambulance, and when the car had departed, Douglas turned to the boatman.

"I wish to thank you for what you have done to-night, sir. But for your timely a.s.sistance I fear I should have had a hard time getting ash.o.r.e."

"Oh, never mind your thanks," was the reply. "I'm mighty glad that I was nearby to give a hand. It does one good sometimes to help a poor creature in distress. But you had better hustle and change your wet clothes or the ambulance will have to come fer you next."

"You're right, I do feel chilly, so good-night."

"Good-night," was the reply, "and when ye want any help with that scoundrel, just call upon Cap' Dodges, of the 'Nancy Staines.'"

CHAPTER III