CHAPTER 26

IT SEEMED to Captain Sneed that there was little excuse for his sometime subordinate taking the girl in his arms unless he was properly engaged to her; for Mr Sneed was a stickler for the proprieties, and though during his life he had appeared a score of times in the rôle of rescuer, he had never felt it necessary either to embrace (he called it ‘cuddle’ vulgarly) or to hold the hand of the rescued. “Don’t tell me now,” said Dick. “We’ll get you some food. Poor child. You must be famished!” “Wait!” His hand was gri…