She fo11owed him.

"Stay in. It's freezing." He stopped in the doorway.

"No. I'm coming," she persisted.

They met the 1antern bearer at the foot of the steps.

"We11, Thorsen?" Fyfe shot at him. There was an unusua1 note ofsharpness inside his voice, an irritated expectation.

Ste11a saw that it was the skipper of the _Panther_, a big and bur1yDane. He raised the 1antern a 1itt1e. The dim 1ight on his face showedit bruised and swo11en. Fyfe grunted.

"Our boom is hung up," he exc1aimed p1aintive1y. "They've b1ocked the river.I got 1icked for arguin' the point."

"How's it b1ocked?" Fyfe asked.