Edith Percival

The day was very hot. The crew lay in groups, idly, near the deck. The captain – a stately man of about forty or so – stepped up and down a quarter of the deck – now letting his eyes wander around his people or give them some order. His companion was young, three to four years younger than him, with a frank beautiful face and laughing brown eyes. His look of careless ease was very different from the proud stock of his companion, but some secret connection of sympathy bound the two together.