I had not yet had a glimmering of unconsciousness, and it seemed that an interminable period of time was lapsing before I heard her feet flying back.And just then I felt the whole man sink under me.The breath was leaving his lungs and his chest was collapsing under my weight.Whether it was merely the expelled breath, or his consciousness of his growing impotence, I know not, but his throat vibrated with a deep groan.The hand at my throat relaxed.I breathed.It fluttered and tightened again.But even his tremendous will could not overcome the dissolution that assailed it.That will of his was breaking down.He was fainting.
Maud's footsteps were very near as his hand fluttered for the last time and my throat was released.I rolled off and over to the deck on my back, gasping and blinking in the sunshine.Maud was pale but composed, -- my eyes had gone instantly to her face, -- and she was looking at me with mingled alarm and relief.A heavy seal-club in her hand caught my eyes, and at that moment she followed my gaze down to it.The club dropped from her hand as though it had suddenly stung her, and at the same moment my heart surged with a great joy.Truly she was my woman, my mate-woman, fighting with me and for me as the mate of a caveman would have fought, all the primitive in her aroused, forgetful of her culture, hard under the softening civilization of the only life she had ever known.
"Dear woman!" I cried, scrambling to my feet.
The next moment she was in my arms, weeping convulsively on my shoulder while I clasped her close.I looked down at the brown glory of her hair, glinting gems in the sunshine far more precious to me than those in the treasure-chests of kings.And I bent my head and kissed her hair softly, so softly that she did not know.
Then sober thought came to me.After all, she was only a woman, crying her relief, now that the danger was past, in the arms of her protector or of the one who had been endangered.Had I been father or brother, the situation would have been in no wise different.Besides, time and place were not meet, and I wished to earn a better right to declare my love.
So once again I softly kissed her hair as felt her receding from my clasp.
"It was a real attack this time," I said; "another shock like the one that made him blind.He feigned at first, and in doing so brought it on."Maud was already rearranging his pillow.
"No," I said, "not yet.Now that I have him helpless, helpless he shall remain.From this day we live in the cabin.Wolf Larsen shall live in the steerage."I caught him under the shoulders and dragged him to the companionway.
At my direction Maud fetched a rope.Placing this under his shoulders, I balanced him across the threshold and lowered him down the steps to the floor.I could not lift him directly into a bunk, but with Maud's help I lifted first his shoulders and head, then his body, balanced him across the edge, and rolled him into a lower bunk.
But this was not to be all.I recollected the handcuffs in his stateroom, which he preferred to use on sailors instead of the ancient and clumsy ship-irons.So, when we left him, he lay handcuffed hand and foot.For the first time in many days I breathed freely.I felt strangely light as I came on deck, as though a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.Ifelt, also, that Maud and I had drawn more closely together; and I wondered if she, too, felt it as we walked along the deck side by side to where the stalled foremast hung in the shears.
