Distantly he heard the ship's bells, eleven o'clock, and after that the half-hour and midnight.

The printed pages were growing dim, and drowsily he marked his book, placed it on the table, and yawned.

They must be nearing Cordova.

He could feel the slackened speed of the _Nome_ and the softer throb of her engines.
Probably they had passed Cape St.Elias and were drawing inshore.
And then, sudden and thrilling, came a woman's scream.

A piercing cry of terror, of agony--and of something else that froze the blood in his veins as he sprang from his berth.