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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..45d6744 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #68796 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/68796) diff --git a/old/68796-0.txt b/old/68796-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 5433ff5..0000000 --- a/old/68796-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5993 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Blue Peter, by Morley Roberts - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: The Blue Peter - Sea comedies - -Author: Morley Roberts - -Release Date: August 20, 2022 [eBook #68796] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Al Haines - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BLUE PETER *** - - - - - - - - THE BLUE PETER - - SEA COMEDIES - - - - BY - - MORLEY ROBERTS - - AUTHOR OF "THE PROMOTION OF THE ADMIRAL" - "CAPTAIN BALAAM OF THE 'CORMORANT'" ETC. - - - - LONDON - EVELEIGH NASH - 1906 - - - - - INSCRIBED AFFECTIONATELY - TO - MY FATHER - - - - -CONTENTS - - -I. THE EXTRA HANDS OF THE _NEMESIS_ - -II. THE STRANGE SITUATION OF CAPTAIN BROGGER - -III. THE OVERCROWDED ICEBERG - -IV. THE REMARKABLE CONVERSION OF THE REV. T. RUDDLE - -V. THE CAPTAIN OF THE _ULLSWATER_ - - - - -THE EXTRA HANDS OF THE _NEMESIS_ - -The steamship _Nemesis_, of two thousand five hundred and fifty tons -register, and belonging to the port of London, had nearly finished -her loading one foggy afternoon in a foggy November. She was at -Tilbury, taking in a general cargo for Capetown and Australian ports, -and as the last few cases were coming on board the skipper came on -board too by way of the big gangway, close by which the second mate -was standing. - -"Is that the last of it?" asked the 'old man' gloomily. - -"Yes, sir," said Mr. Cade with equal gloominess. When a man is -second mate at the age of fifty it is not surprising that he should -be sulky. - -"And it is time it was, for we're well down to our mark, and no -mistake about it, sir." - -Captain Jordan said nothing, but walked for'ard to his cabin and sat -down wearily. He threw a bundle of papers on his table, and filling -his pipe smoked for a few minutes. He was a fine handsome -white-headed man of some fifty-two years, and had once been -ambitious. Now he worked for Messrs. Gruddle, Shody, & Co., and, as -all seamen knew, to work for them was to have lost all chances that -following the sea affords even in these days. - -"The swine," said old Jordan to himself, "oh, the swine that they -are! I wish I could get even with them. If I could do that I could -die happy. They are charitable, are they? Curse their charity! Ah, -if I hadn't been so unlucky in my last employ." - -But that was it. He had been in the employ of a good firm with one -bitterly unjust regulation. Any skipper of theirs who lost a ship, -even through no fault of his own, had to go, and, though he had -worked for them for twenty years, that was his fate when he piled up -the _Grimshaw Hall_ on the Manacles. - -"And that's how they got me cheap," said Jordan. "And because poor -Cade lost his master's certificate through an error of judgment they -have him cheap, and they have my old chum Thripp cheap in the same -way. Oh, they are a precious lot of swine, and I wish I had 'em here -with me when we are out at sea. I'd tell 'em what I think of 'em, if -I got the sack right off and had to ship before the mast." - -Thripp the mate came by the cabin, and the skipper called to him. - -"Yes, sir," said Thripp. - -"Come in a moment," said Jordan. "I've something to tell you, -something that will cheer you up and make you like the firm better -than ever." - -Thripp was also as grey as a badger, but not through age. He, too, -had been a master mariner, and had lost his first and only command by -running her against an iceberg in a fog. He had had orders to make a -passage at all costs, but those orders were verbal, and his owners -showed in court printed instructions that bade all their employees -use extra caution in time of fog, even if a slow passage were the -result. Therefore Messrs. Gruddle, Shody, & Co. got him cheap too. - -"What's their charity now?" asked Thripp scornfully. - -"It begins at home as usual," replied the skipper. "They have cut -you and me down thirty bob a month and Cade a quid." - -Thripp sighed, and then swore. - -"Well, we have both had our certificates suspended," said Jordan -bitterly, "so what can we expect? Men like us are every owner's -dogs, and they know it. I'm half a mind to quit." - -"I've got a wife," said Thripp, "and I can't put the poor old girl in -the workhouse." - -Jordan had never been married, and was glad of it now. - -"I once had a chance to marry a lady with ships of her own," he said -thoughtfully, "and I was fool enough to prefer to run alone. But it -is wonderful how fond that woman was of me, Thripp. She proposed to -me three times." - -"You don't say so," said Thripp. - -"Fact, I assure you," replied Jordan. "She was as ugly as a freak, -and fat enough to make a livin' in a show, so I couldn't do it, you -see. - -"I see," sighed Thripp, "but it was a pity." - -"An awful pity," said the skipper. "And even now she ain't forgot -me, though it is ten years ago and more since we first met. Every -Christmas she sends me a puddin' and a bottle of rum that would make -your hair curl, ninety over proof at least, and with the aroma of a -West Injies sugar plantation. I wonder if she has any sort of a -notion how I've come down in life so as to be at the mercy of a Jew -like Gruddle." - -Cade came along and reported that the very last of the cargo was in -and that the hatches were on. Jordan called him in and gave him a -tot of whisky, and broke the news to him that his wages had had -another cut. But the second mate said nothing at all. He shook his -head and went out. - -"His spirit is broke," said Jordan gloomily. - -"Oh, no," said Thripp, "it's only that he hasn't the words, poor -chap. Well, it ain't any wonder. I haven't any myself. But if I -ran across Gruddle my opinion is that I should find 'em in spite of -my bein' a married man." - -"Last week they was talkin' of comin' along with us as far as Gib," -said Jordan. "They are mighty proud of this steamer that I know they -got by fraud and diddlin' out of Johns and Mackie. Oh, they are very -proud of her, and they see money in her." - -"If they had come," said Thripp savagely, "I should have said -something or bust." - -"Better to bust, I suppose," replied the skipper, "though I own that -if I knew they was comin' with us I should be tempted to say a lot -that's now inside me boilin'. I wish they was, I own it. I own it -freely, even if I got the sack." - -He relapsed on the ship's papers, and Thripp went out to attend to -the duties of a conscientious mate on the eve of going to sea. He -passed a telegraph boy on the main-deck and directed the lad to the -captain's cabin. Destiny in a uniform thanked him and whistled. -When he had found the skipper and old Jordan had read the message he -was the one who whistled. But he did not do so from want of thought -by any means. He looked as savage as a trapped weasel, and as black -as a nigger on a dark night. - -"Well, I'm damned," said Jordan, "so they are goin' to do it after -all! And I don't know that I wish it now!" - -He whistled again and rang the bell for the steward, who was another -of the firm's cheap bargains. He had been in prison, in company with -a former captain of his, for disposing of stores in foreign parts and -feeding the crew on something that the illicit purchaser threw into -the bargain. He was now trying to regain his lost reputation at the -wages of an ordinary seaman. - -"Steward," said the skipper, "I want you to read this telegram and -arrange for it as best you can. They will be with us for six days or -thereabouts." - -For the wire was from Mr. Gruddle, and it stated that the four -partners were going with them as far as Gibraltar. - -"Shall we 'ave to get in anythin' special for them in the way of -provisions, sir?" asked the steward. - -The 'old man' scratched his head and said that he thought so. - -"As you know, Smith, what we have to eat is horrid bad," he said -thoughtfully. - -"It is, sir," replied Smith. "It ain't fit for pigs." - -Jordan stood thinking for a minute. Then he turned to Smith. - -"On the whole, Smith, I think I'd get nothing. I'd like 'em to see -the kind of stuff they buy for us. Perhaps it will do them good. It -don't do us any. Get nothin', Smith." - -"Very well, sir," said the steward with a grin. He turned to go, and -Jordan stopped him. - -"I suppose, Smith, that some of the grub is worse than the rest?" he -asked. - -"Lord bless you, sir, the men's grub is fair poison." - -"Is it now?" said the skipper. "Do you know, Smith, I think we'll -eat what the men do for the passage as far as Gibraltar. I'll speak -to Mr. Thripp and Mr. Cade, and I daresay they won't mind just for a -little while." - -"I could put you and them somethin' better in your cabin, sir, if the -other made you very sick," suggested Smith. - -"So you could. To be sure you could," said Jordan. "That's a very -good idea of yours, Smith. But fix up their berths. They will be -aboard to-morrow mornin'." - -He broke the news to the mates that the whole firm was coming on a -little trip with them, and when he asked them if they had any -objection to the fare that Smith proposed to give them for those few -days they said they would be glad to see it on the table. They -thought almost happily of the face that Gruddle would put on when he -saw the measly and forbidden pork. They had visions of Shody, who -was a wholesale grocer as well as a ship-owner, when he sampled the -stores that he supplied the firm with. They smiled to think of -Sloggett and Butterworth, the junior partners, who promised to be -quite as bad as their elders by and by, and were known to be fond of -high feeding. The only mistake they fell into about the whole body -of the firm was that they took them for fools who did not know what -sort of food they gave their officers and crews. For next morning at -nine o'clock a number of fascinating-looking cases were brought on -board, on which was the name of a well-known provision merchant. And -with the cases which obviously contained provisions there were some -which quite as obviously held champagne. The 'old man' and the two -mates looked at this consignment and their jaws dropped. - -"Our scheme ain't worth a cent," said Jordan sadly. - -"It might be worse, though," said Thripp; "we'll get some of this -lot, of course." - -"Do you think so?" asked Jordan sadly. - -"Of course I do," said Thripp indignantly. "Whatever kind of swabs -they are, they ain't surely so measly as to grub on this in our very -presence and see us eat the other muck?" - -The skipper smiled a slow and bitter smile. - -"Thripp, you are a good seaman, but as a judge of humanity you ain't -in it with Cade. All you and me will get of this lot will be the -smell of it." - -An hour later the owners came on board, and were received with the -humility due to such great men, who owned ships and shops and had -houses in Croyden, and reputations which smelt in heaven like a -tallow refining factory. The very deck hands who brought their -luggage on board cursed them under their breath, and would have been -glad to do it openly. Then as the tide served the _Nemesis_ cast off -from the wharf and made her way out into the stream, and started on -her most memorable trip. If all the folks connected with the sea who -knew the character of the men who owned her had also known that they -were on board, and what was going to happen before they got back to -England again, she and they would have got a more lively send-off -than she did get. - -The partners were in a very happy frame of mind, and showed it. They -had got hold of the _Nemesis_ cheap and were going to make money out -of her. They had their officers and crew on the cheap as well, and -it warmed their hearts to think of the price that they had -provisioned her at in these hard times. Everything on board the -_Nemesis_ was cheap except the grub they had sent on board for their -own use, and even that had been paid for by a creditor as a means of -getting the firm to renew a bill. It was quite certain the firm knew -their way about the dark alleys of this world. Gruddle had a -cent.-per-cent. grin on his oily face, and fat Shody smiled like a -hyena out on a holiday, and the two more gentlemanly-looking members -of the firm laughed jovially. - -"It's a great idea this," said Sloggett. "We're going to 'ave an -ideal 'oliday and pay nothin' for it, and when we get to Gibraltar we -will put the screw on Garcia & Co. and show them that we are not to -be played with. Oh, this was a good idea of yours, Butterworth, and -I congratulate you on it." - -They were shown their berths by the scared and obsequious steward, -and they changed their frock-coats and high hats, without which they -could not move a step, and put on more suitable garments. Gruddle, -for instance, put on patent leather shoes and spats, which with black -trousers and a loud check coat looked exceedingly striking. He wore -a Royal Yacht Squadron cap, which he had as much right to as a Field -Marshal's uniform. It suited his style of Oriental beauty as much as -that would have done, and he went on deck as pleased as Punch. He -felt every inch a sailor. The others followed him, and were almost -as remarkable to look at in their own way. Shody, who was a very fat -man, was in knickerbockers and shooting-boots, and wore a fur-lined -overcoat; while Sloggett was adorned, in a new yachtsman's rig-out -which made him look like a pallid shop-walker. Butterworth was the -only one who stuck to ordinary clothes, and, as a consequence, he -looked like a gentleman beside the others. It was an illusion, of -course, for he wasn't a gentleman by any means. On the contrary, he -was a member of the firm, and a rising man in that branch of the -shipping world which makes its money out of sinking ships. - -"'Ow long will it be before we are in fine weather?" he asked, as he -stared at the docks and warehouses. But no one knew, and just then -there was no one to ask, for all the officers had their hands full. -The river was thick with traffic, and there was enough mist on the -water to make navigation a little risky. - -"Oh, give me sunlight," said Gruddle. "When the sun shines I'm -almost as happy as when I turn a loss into a profit by attention to -details." - -His partners laughed. - -"There is nothing like an 'oliday on the cheap, with a free mind," -said Shody. "I likes an 'oliday, I own, but when it costs me money I -ain't as 'appy as when it costs someone else money." - -"There is one thing about this vessel that fills me with a just -pride," said Gruddle, "and that is that her wages bill per month is -prob'ly thirty-three and a third per cent. under that of any vessel -of hequal tonnage sailin' out of London this day. And it's done -without meanness too, all on account of my notion of givin' work to -the unfortunate at a trifle under current rates. This is the only -firm in London that can be charitable, and 'ave the name for it, and -make money out of it." - -They said that was so, and they discussed the officers. - -"All good men, if a trifle unfortunate," said Shody. "A year ago who -would 'ave believed that we could 'ave got a man like Jordan for what -we pay 'im? The very hidea would 'ave been laughed at. But he 'as -an accident that wasn't 'is fault, and down comes 'is price, and we -nip in and get a real good man cheap as dirt, and keep 'im off of the -streets so to speak. Oh, Gruddle, it was a great idea of yours; and -to give that poor unfort'nit steward a job when 'e came out of chokey -was real noble of you." - -"So it was," said Gruddle, "but I was always soft-'earted if I didn't -lose money by it." - -"So you were," said Shody warmly. "Do you remember 'ow you gave poor -Jenkins time to borrow money of his relatives w'en by all rights you -ought to 'ave given 'im into charge, and 'e would 'ave got ten years -as safe as a bill of Rothschild's?" - -In such reminiscences of the firm's noble efforts on the part of -suffering and erring humanity they passed an agreeable hour, and then -went below and cracked a bottle of champagne. Soon afterwards it was -time for lunch, and Butterworth saw to the arrangements of their -special table, and got things out to be cooked. The skipper came -down for a moment while they were eating, and Gruddle called him over -to their table. - -"Will you 'ave a glass of champagne, captain?" he asked. - -"With pleasure, sir," said the white-headed old skipper, who looked -like a thoroughbred beside any one of them. - -"Ah, I thought you would," said Gruddle warmly. "I reckon you 'ave -not tasted it since you wrecked the _Grimshaw 'All_ on the Manacles, -captain. And don't you forget that if you wrecks the _Nemesis_ you -won't taste much but skilly and water for the rest of your life. -Pour 'im out a glass, Sloggett, if you can spare it." - -Jordan drank the wine, and it nearly choked him. When he got out of -their sight he spat on the deck, and went upon the bridge alongside -the pilot shivering. His hands were clenched and he was almost sick -with rage. - -The mud-pilot saw that there was something wrong. - -"Are you ill, captain?" he asked. - -"I've 'ad a blow," said the old skipper, "I've 'ad a blow." - -The pilot thought he had had bad news, and was sorry for him. - -"No, not bad news," said poor old Jordan. "It ain't no news to me. -Somebody said somethin' that puts things in a new light to me." - -He chewed the cud of unutterable bitterness and wished he was dead. -He did not go below again till they were well in the Channel, and he -ate no supper. He could not get it down. He sent for Thripp to his -cabin, and burst out on the mate with the intolerable insults that he -had had to put up with. - -"We're their dogs," said Thripp bitterly; "but if I am married I'll -not put up with much, sir. They're half drunk by now, and are -playin' cards and drinkin' more, and Dixon is cryin' in his pantry -because one of 'em started bullyin' him about something, and said -that he was a hard bargain at any price." - -"I wish I could get even, oh, I do wish it," said old Jordan. "Did -you ever hear of such mean dogs in all your life?" - -"Only in books, sir," said the mate thoughtfully. "I recollect in -some book readin' about a man like Gruddle, but I forget what book it -was. But I do remember that someone knocked the man down that was as -bad as Gruddle. I enjoyed that book amazin'ly, sir." - -"I wish you knew the name of it," said the skipper. "But if I 'ad as -much money laid by as would bring me in fifteen shillin's a week I'd -show you something better than anythin' you ever read in a book, -Thripp. You mark my words, I would." - -"What would you show me, sir?" asked the mate eagerly. - -But old Jordan sighed. - -"What's the good of thinking of pure enjoyment when one ain't in the -least likely to get the chance of havin' it? We must put up with -'em, Thripp. After all it's only to Gibraltar, and after that we are -by ourselves. I hope I shan't explode before then." - -And Thripp went away to talk to the engineer, and to try to remember -the name of the book in which someone got his deserts. While he was -doing that the partners played cards and drank more than was good for -them, and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. They told Thripp, when he -came below, that the whole ship was disgracefully dirty, and that if -he wanted to keep his job he had better see to it at once. As they -screwed him down on paint and all stores necessary to prevent a -vessel looking as bad as a house in Chancery, this naturally did not -cheer him up. Dixon was really in tears because Gruddle swore at him -in the most horrid way without any reason, except that he had sworn -at Shody and had got the worst of it. Cade accidentally ran into -Butterworth, who was sneaking round to see if he could find anything -to complain about, and Butterworth promptly said he was a clumsy -hound. According to Jordan, Cade's spirit was broken, but this was -more than he could stand even from one of the owners. He told -Butterworth to go where it was a deal hotter than the Red Sea in -July. He did not use any circumlocution about it either, and -Butterworth was in a fury. He complained to the skipper, and Jordan -had the greatest difficulty in refraining from endorsing Cade's hasty -recommendation of a suitable climate for the junior partner. But he -did refrain. - -"I am very sorry that he should have so far forgotten himself," said -Jordan. "I will speak to him at once." - -"The insolent fool must apologise," said Butterworth; and Jordan said -that Mr. Cade would undoubtedly see that that was his duty. He -called for Cade, and Cade's spirit seemed to have quite bucked up. -He flatly declined to apologise unless Mr. Butterworth first did so -for 'calling him out of his name.' - -"He said I was a clumsy hound," said Cade. - -"So you are," said Butterworth, "and I say it again." - -"Do you hear that, Captain Jordan?" asked Cade. "Is an officer in -this vessel or in any other to be spoke to like that before the men? -Before I'll apologise I'll see that sailor-robber in hell, sir." - -The poor skipper danced in his anxiety to preserve the peace. - -"Mr. Cade, you mustn't. I order you to hold your tongue, sir. Go to -your cabin, sir, and after some reflection I am sure you will offer -an apology to Mr. Butterworth." - -"I'll see him damned first," said Cade as he marched off. - -"I sack you! I discharge you!" roared Butterworth, who was in a -blind fury. - -"Discharge your grandmother," said Cade discourteously. "You can't -do it. I'm on the ship's papers. And who are you, anyhow?" - -The owners held a consultation in the cabin when Butterworth came -below with his story of the second mate's insolence and -insubordination. - -"Let us be clear as to 'ow it occurred," said Gruddle. "Now, -Butterworth, tell us what it was." - -"He ran against me, and I remonstrated, and he told me to go to -hell," said the fuming Butterworth. - -"That ith very bad, very 'ighly improper," said Gruddle. "But 'ow -did you remonstrate? Did you 'it 'im?" - -"Certainly not," said the junior partner warmly, "all I said was that -he was clumsy." - -Shody and Sloggett said that Cade must be sacked at once, or at least -as soon as they got to Gibraltar. Gruddle, who knew a deal more than -they did about most things in the way of the law and business, shook -his head. - -"It will sound very queer to you," said Gruddle, "but the truth of -the matter ith that I don't think we can thack 'im. The man 'ath a -contract for the voyage, and the only one that can thack 'im ith the -captain." - -The rest said this was absurd. Were they not the owners, and could -they not do as they pleased with every man-jack on board? And even -if Gruddle was right, they could tell the captain to dump Cade over -the side at Gibraltar. - -"Well, of course we can do that," said Gruddle. - -"And we will," said the outraged Butterworth. "I think we had better -'ave Jordan in now and tell 'im what to do." - -They sent for the skipper, and the poor old chap came down and stood -up before them. With his big white beard and his ruddy handsome face -he looked like a captive Viking before a tribunal of tradesmen. - -"This 'ere conduct of the second mate is what we've called you down -about," said Gruddle. "'E was very rude to Mr. Butterworth; told -'im, in fact, to go to 'ell, w'ich can't be put up with." - -"And ain't goin' to be," said the offended partner. "We 'ave sacked -'im, and 'e must be sent ashore at Gibraltar and another one found." - -Jordan had the very strongest inclination to tell Butterworth exactly -what Cade had told him. But he restrained himself, and suggested to -them that it would probably take some time to pick up a new second -mate at Gib, whereas they had arranged not to enter but to signal for -a boat for them to go ashore in. It was Shody who saw the way out -and brought them all to grief. - -"Cade can come ashore with us," he said with a fat and happy smile, -"and you needn't wait to get another man in 'is place, captain. I -always understood that the second mate was on'y a kind of deputy for -the skipper, and I see no reason w'y 'e couldn't be done without -altogether." - -"That's a very good idea of yours, Shody," said Sloggett and -Butterworth in the same breath, "and I daresay the captain will see -that it is." - -But Jordan was breathless with indignation. Shody spoke for him. - -"I always did think," said Shody, "that the captain of any vessel 'ad -much too easy a time of it. I don't see no reason why 'e shouldn't -stand his watch same as the mate. The captain's job is an easy one -and a well paid one. I should say it was an overpaid one. 'Avin' a -second mate is like 'avin' a fifth wheel to a coach, and the job -should be abolished. This is a good chance of inauguratin' an -entirely new system, and a reform that will save money." - -The only one of them who thought this was going too far was Gruddle, -and he did not care to look Jordan in the face. When he did look at -the captain it was because he had to, and because Jordan demanded it. -The old man's face was livid with rage, and he struck the table a -resounding blow that made the glasses dance. The partners shrank -back from him as if he was a wild elephant, and Gruddle went as white -as the skipper's beard. - -"You infernal hogs," said the skipper, "you infernal hogs, I'm sorry -I ever saw one of you! You are a disgrace to the name of Englishmen, -and--and I despise you!" - -He looked as if he did; there was no mistake about that, and he also -looked as if he was about to assault the whole gang of them. The two -junior partners jumped to their feet not so much to be prepared to -defend themselves as to run away. Jordan might be somewhat past his -best, but he was still as strong as a bull and as big as any two of -them in spite of Shody's fat. He was distinctly dangerous. - -"'Ow, 'ow dare you on our ship?" asked Shody with a poor attempt at -dignity. "Partners, our kindness 'as been throwed away, bestowed on -an hunworthy hobject." - -"Shut up, or I'll make you," roared the old skipper. "I won't be -spoke to by a lot of hogs such as you, with your talk of charity and -your beastly manners. You can sack me if you like, but you don't -sack the second mate while I am captain of this vessel, so I tell -you." - -"We--we discharge you," said Butterworth furiously. "We discharge -him, don't we?" - -They said that they did, and for a second the skipper was about to -take his dismissal lying down. But the next moment he refused to do -anything of the sort. He saw the strength of his position where they -naturally only saw his weakness. He laughed a little angrily, but -still he laughed, and the sound outraged the firm. - -"You will laugh on the wrong side of your face when you are on the -street," said Shody. And just then Jordan heard Cade enter his -cabin. He laughed again, this time much more naturally, and called -to the second mate. He came in looking as black as a thundercloud. - -"Mr. Cade," said the skipper in almost his usual mild tone of voice. - -"Yes, sir," replied Cade. - -"Would you be so good, Mr. Cade, as to tell me who I am?" - -Cade stared, and so did the partners. - -"Who you are, sir?" stammered the second greaser in great amazement. - -"Yes, who I am?" repeated the skipper. - -"Why, you are Captain Jordan, sir," said Cade, still out of soundings. - -"Of what ship, Mr. Cade?" - -"Of this one, sir," replied Cade, who hoped that the skipper hadn't -gone mad. - -"Exactly so, Mr. Cade," said the 'old man,' who had by this time made -up his mind to a very definite course of action. "You hear that, -gentlemen?" - -They did hear it, but were not much wiser. They looked at each other -in some amazement. - -"What do you mean, you old fool?" asked Sloggett. But Jordan did not -answer him. He spoke again to Cade. - -"And if I am the skipper of this boat," he went on, "who are these -gentlemen who are givin' me directions to put you ashore at Gib?" - -Cade eyed them malevolently, and for the first time a glimpse of the -captain's meaning came to him. His face lightened, and he smiled -grimly. - -"Why, they are only passengers," he said. - -"Right the very first time," said Jordan with a pleasant smile; "that -is what they are here, and no mistake about it. And as passengers, -Mr. Cade, what authority have they?" - -"Not so much as the cook," said Cade. - -The skipper, who had quite recovered his temper, turned to the -partners. - -"You hear that, gentlemen?" he asked. - -They did hear it, and it sounded very absurd to all of them but old -Gruddle, who did know something of the ways of the sea and the laws -of it. - -"You are an old fool," said Butterworth, "and when we get to -Gibraltar you will find it out too, quick." - -The skipper grinned quite amiably. As he had now made up his mind, -he reverted to the superiority of tone which had distinguished him -when he was captain of the _Grimshaw Hall_. - -"Yes, I shall find it out--when I get to Gibraltar," said Jordan, -with ample and deadly courtesy, and saying that he went out of the -saloon and called Cade to follow him. When they came out on deck he -put his hand on the second mate's shoulder. - -"I ain't goin' to Gibraltar at all, Mr. Cade," he said with a nod, -and Cade gasped. - -"Ain't you, sir?" he asked after a long pause of astonishment. - -"Not much, I'm not," said Jordan. "I've put up with a deal, but I'll -show 'em now who's the boss here. I got orders for Capetown and -Sydney, and if they choose to come on board as passengers and tell me -to go elsewhere I don't choose to do it, and that is all there is to -it. Damn their eyes!" - -"Amen, sir," said Cade. "To think that Butterworth called me a -clumsy hound!" - -"He did," said the skipper. "But I'll give you a chance of gettin' -even before you are a week older. You see if I don't." - -And in the cabin the partners were staring at each other in great -surprise. - -"This is mutiny," said Sloggett. But Gruddle growled. - -"Don't be an ass, Sloggett," said the senior partner. "'Ow can a -captain be guilty of mutiny? The very idea is absurd." - -So it was, of course. - -"I don't believe he will go into Gibraltar at all," said Gruddle with -a gasp. "You chaps 'ave put the old chap's back up, and when 'e is -mad 'e's capable of anything." - -"He wouldn't dare," said Butterworth. "Do you mean he will take us -on to Capetown?" - -"That's what I do mean," sighed the wretched senior partner, who did -not find that he enjoyed the sea at all. "That is exactly wot I do -mean." - -"Good Lord," said Shody, "and there ain't enough decent grub to do -more than take us to Gibraltar." - -"This is a very 'orrid situation," said Gruddle, "and we owes it -entirely to you, Butterworth, for quarrellin' with the second mate. -I believe you done a lot more than call him clumsy. I'll lay odds -you was grossly insultin', as you always are." - -The others turned on Butterworth and said that they believed it too, -and the unhappy Butterworth acknowledged that he had called Cade a -hound. - -"I'm right as usual," said Gruddle; "and if I know my man no apology -will do any good. I can see that they are savage because we cut down -their wages. I've a good mind to raise 'em again till we get a -chance to cut 'em down safely. We was fools to come this 'ere trip, -and we owe it all to Butterworth who suggested it." - -Butterworth got it all round, and was in an extreme state of -wretchedness. - -"I think that if Butterworth is a gent, as we are all ready to -believe," said Shody, "that 'e will go at once and apologise to that -beast of a second mate; and we can tell the skipper that we will -raise 'is wages again--till we can sack 'im." - -This seemed a very good idea to everyone but Butterworth. - -"I never apologised to anyone, and I ain't goin' to begin with a man -like Cade," said Butterworth stubbornly. - -"You're not a man of business in the least," said Shody. "I always -maintained that we lose more money by your manners, w'ich are those -of a pig, than we ever gain by your sharp practice. And now, 'avin' -got your partners into a 'orrid mess with a mad and insubordinate -captain, you are prepared to see them eat muck on'y fit for sea-goin' -folks. The on'y consolation is that you will 'ave to eat it -yourself." - -"Oh, Butterworth, do apologise," said Gruddle with tears in his eyes, -"do apologise, for if you eat a little dirt in doin' so it is far -better than eatin' all you will if we continue this 'orrid and -disastrous trip." - -The others agreed with Gruddle, and at last Butterworth was induced -to put his pride in his pocket and try an apology on Cade. - -"It won't work, I know it won't work," said the cause of all their -woes. "That Cade 'as a down on me I know, and 'e isn't a gentleman -and won't take an apology from one. But all the same I'll try, -though I don't see why it should all be put on me. Men like these -officers of ours think a deal more of a few shillin's a week than a -few cross words, and it was Gruddle who cut down their wages. I -think it is Gruddle who should apologise." - -But Gruddle argued that he had not called Cade a hound, and when -Butterworth went off on his painful errand he turned to the others -and said-- - -"The hidea of Butterworth thinkin' that 'e is a gentleman!" - -They all shook their heads at the idea of Butterworth doing so, and -told each other stories of his origin in a pawnship in the Borough -Road. - -"And 'e 'asn't manners either," sighed Shody. - -By this time it was noon, and Cade was on the bridge, while Thripp -was in the skipper's cabin hearing a fuller account of the row than -Cade had given him. Cade was in no frame of mind to receive an -apology from anyone. He took things hard, and chewed over them -horribly. - -"Hound, clumsy hound, am I?" said Cade as he paced the bridge with -his hands in his pockets. "I'd like to 'clumsy hound' him. Clumsy -hound, and I didn't knock him down! Bein' married makes a coward of -a man!" - -He turned about to find the object of his wrath on the sacred bridge. -It made him quite forget that he was married, and that Mrs. Cade was -hard to deal with if the money was not forthcoming in due season. He -stared at Butterworth in the most offensive way, and the apology with -which the junior partner was primed stuck in his throat. - -"What the devil do you want here?" asked Cade savagely. "Don't you -know that this part of the vessel is private? But perhaps you have -come to say that you are sorry for callin' me out of my name just -now, when I didn't knock you down as I should have done?" - -It seemed peculiarly hard lines to Butterworth that his act of grace -was to be discounted in this way, and as he was not by any means as -big a coward as Gruddle or Shody he fired up at once. - -"I was goin' to apologise, but now I won't, and I defy you to knock -me down, and you are a clumsy hound, so there!" - -He put up his hands a moment too late, for Cade made a jump like a -buck and caught him full on the jaw, and the junior partner went down -like a sack of coals. He got up again more quickly than was wise, -and once more went down. This time he did not get up, though he was -invited to do so with great politeness by the second mate. For when -Cade had it all his own way, and had wiped out the sense of -self-contempt which had lately been troubling him, he grew quite -happy. - -"Get up, dear, and let me knock you endways once more," he said in -the most agreeable tones at his command. "But I see you won't, my -chicken. You have had enough, and you may go now and send up your -partners one by one, and I'll serve the sailor-robbin' scum in the -same way. Get out of this, and next time don't forget that at the -first crooked word, though it is only rams'-horns, I'll knock you as -flat as a jib down-haul. This here bridge is private." - -And Butterworth rose and staggered down to his partners with his hand -to his jaw. - -"I'm much happier than I was, and if the old girl cuts up rough at my -gettin' the sack again, why all I have to say is that keelin' -Butterworth over is worth double the money," said Cade joyfully. - -By this time the skipper had come to a decision which would have -pleased Cade even more than knocking the junior partner endways. -Thripp said that he did not care if the skipper did it. In fact, he -wanted him to do it, and did not care if it cost him his billet and -he had to ship before the stick in a wind-jammer for the rest of his -life. He also went on to say that it would be a joy to him always, -and that it would be an equal joy to all hands. - -"Then that's decided on," said the 'old man' firmly. "We ain't goin' -into Gibraltar this trip, not by a hatful, and when their special -grub gives out we'll decide what is to follow." - -"Yes, sir," said the mate, and he turned in to get a snooze before it -was his turn to go on watch again. Jordan walked into the saloon, -and was passing the partners like a ship in full sail passing some -mud-barges, when he was pulled up by Sloggett. - -"Captain Jordan, Mr. Butterworth has been knocked down by the second -mate." - -"Oh, has he?" asked Jordan. - -"Yes, I have," roared the unfortunate man who had not got his apology -out in time to save himself. "Yes, I 'ave, and when we get to -Gibraltar I'll 'ave 'im in jail as sure as I'm one of the owners of -this vessel." - -Jordan was perfectly reckless, and cared nothing by now for any of -them. He laughed, and walked on towards his cabin. - -"Ain't you goin' to do nothin' about it?" asked Shody. - -"Nothin'," said the skipper. "Serves the measly little swine right. -I hope Mr. Cade will serve the lot of you the same way before we get -to Capetown." - -With that shot, which clean hulled them and made them quiver, he went -into his cabin and slammed the door upon them. - -"There, there, what did I tell you?" wailed Gruddle. "'E's goin' to -take us on to Africa, and we can't stop 'im." - -The prospect of being shut in a ship with officers who totally -refused to recognise that they had any status but passengers was very -dreadful, but over and above that there was the question of what -would become of the business, with none to attend to it but underpaid -clerks who were not allowed to know the dark and secret ways of their -employers. And then there was the question of the grub. Shody -fairly quailed at the prospect. They turned on poor smitten -Butterworth like one man, and if Cade needed any more revenge they -gave it him. - -"You must go and speak to the skipper, Butterworth," they said in -chorus, "you must persuade him to act reasonable." - -"Yes, and be knocked down again!" said the wretched junior, whose -head was aching as the result of Cade's hard fists. "'E's a much -more powerful man than that overbearin' beast on the bridge, and I -ain't goin' to be whippin' boy for any of you." - -"But you got us to come," urged Gruddle. - -"I wish to 'eavens I 'ad died before I thought of it," sighed -Butterworth. "But who would 'ave thought as men like them, under our -thumb so to speak, would 'ave taken things as they 'ave done. It -ain't my fault." - -But they said it was, and at last Gruddle with a groan suggested that -they should raise the skipper's wages if he would be good and kind to -them, and not ruin them by taking them to Africa. - -"For don't let us disguise it from ourselves, it will be ruin or very -near it. We'll get back and find ourselves in the Court, without any -of them bills provided for," said the senior partner. "Butterworth, -I don't believe you ever tried to apologise to the second mate at -all." - -"He knocked me down as soon as I come on the bridge," screamed -Butterworth angrily. - -"You should 'ave apologised to a man like that from a safe distance," -said the wise and sad Gruddle. "You 'ad no business on the bridge, -and you know it. 'Owever, I insist that you go and speak polite to -the captain, who won't 'it you, I'm sure, while you are so swelled -from what the second mate 'as done." - -It took quite a quarter of an hour's combined persuasion to make -Butterworth put his head into the lion's den, and he only did it on -the understanding that he was to be empowered to offer the skipper a -rise of three pounds a month and an indemnity for his insubordination. - -"Very well," the others agreed, "you can say we forgives him for his -mutinous conduct, and won't take any steps in the matter if 'e lands -us at Gib as arranged. And of course our sayin' so means nothin', -and we can 'ave 'im sacked at Capetown by cable, and put on the -street." - -Even then Butterworth was very uneasy, and demurred to going to -interview the ferocious Jordan without some kind of an excuse. - -"'Adn't we better wait till 'e comes out to dinner?" urged -Butterworth, "and then our speakin' will come natural, or more -natural than now." - -Sloggett looked up at this. - -"Oh, if you are such a coward as to want an excuse I can give you -one," he said. "I quite forgot till this very moment that I brought -a letter from the office for this old scoundrel of a Jordan. So you -can take it in, Butterworth." - -But the junior partner did not like being called a coward after his -encounter with the second mate, and he was very cross with Sloggett. - -"Coward yourself," he said angrily. "Why don't you take it? I'll -bet you 'aven't the pluck to call that Cade a clumsy 'ound." - -"No more 'ave you, now," said Sloggett; "and if you like I'll take on -your job with Jordan, and give 'im the letter myself." - -"All right, you can," said Butterworth; "and I'll take five to three -in sovs. that you don't get an 'idin'." - -That no one offered to lay these odds made Sloggett very -uncomfortable, but as he had undertaken the job he went through with -it, though he did it with a very pale face. He took the letter from -his pocket, without knowing that by so doing he was rendering their -trip to Capetown a dead certainty, and walked to the skipper's cabin. -He paused for a moment before he knocked, and the junior partner of -the unhappy firm laughed. That laugh gave Sloggett the necessary -stimulus to action, and he tapped very mildly at Jordan's cabin. - -"Come in," roared the skipper, in a voice like a distant -thunderstorm, and Sloggett did as he was bid, and did it as mildly as -he had knocked. - -"Oh, captain, I forgot to tell you that I brought you a letter from -the office which came just as I was leavin' it." - -"Put it down then," said the skipper in anything but a conciliatory -tone. But Sloggett was not put off by that. He could not conceive -that anyone would not come off his perch at the sound of money. - -"I want to talk to you about raisin' your screw, captain," he said, -with an obsequiousness which was very rare with him. "I want to talk -with you on the subject of raisin' your screw." - -"I don't want to have any conversation with you or any of your -partners," said the skipper truculently; "and if you have any thing -to say on that or any other subject, you can say it when I come to -dinner." - -"Oh, very well," said Sloggett. "I am sorry I have disturbed you, -but I forgot to tell you that I 'ad a letter for you, and that was -really why I came in." - -"I told you to put it down, didn't I?" asked the skipper. "So do it -and get." - -Sloggett withdrew like a dog with his tail between his legs, and went -back to his friends and reported that Jordan was mad and intractable. -And in the meantime the 'old man' took his letter and stared at it. - -"By crumbs," said Jordan, "it's from the poor old girl that always -wanted to marry me! It is three years since she proposed last, and I -thought she had got tired of it. If she hasn't I'm blowed if I won't -think of doin' it after all." - -He opened the letter eagerly, and when he had read it he sighed and -said-- - -"Poor old girl, well, well, well! Who would have thought it?" - -He walked up and down his narrow cabin, and as he did so he shook his -head. Nevertheless there was quite another look in his face from any -he had worn since he had piled up the _Grimshaw Hall_. He stood -quite upright, and threw back his shoulders and took in a long breath. - -"I'm devilish glad that I broke with this gang of robbers before I -knew," he said. "I feel like a man again. Poor old girl! I'm -almost sorry that I did not marry her after all. I'll tell this to -Thripp and Cade. They shall share in this or I'm a Dutchman of the -very worst kind." - -He walked past the sad consulting partners, and looked more haughty -than ever, and yet more good-tempered. - -"I'm very much afraid that he has 'ad good news in that letter," said -Gruddle, "for if 'e has it may make 'im more hindependent." - -"I don't see 'ow 'e can be more independent than 'e 'as been," -remarked Shody. "When a captain gets independent enough to call the -firm that owns 'im an infernal lot of 'ogs, that seems to me the very -'eight of independence." - -But, as a matter of fact, Jordan was more independent. He went up to -Thripp, who was on the bridge, with a curious expression of mixed joy -and sadness. - -"You remember that poor old girl that I told you of, Thripp?" - -"The one that hankered to marry you?" asked Thripp. - -"The same," said the skipper. "She has pegged out, the poor old -girl, at least she says she has." - -Thripp stared. - -"What do you mean by that, sir? How could she say so?" he asked. - -The skipper showed him the letter that he had just received. - -"Sloggett brought it on board, and gave it me just now as he came -crawlin' to my cabin and let on a lot of slush about raisin' my pay -agin' that they had just cut down, because they have tumbled to the -fact that I've a down on them and the likes of them, and mean to get -even by takin' them to Capetown. And she says in the letter that she -isn't long for this weary lonely world (those are her words, and they -make me feel as if I'd been ungrateful and ought to have overlooked -the fact that she wasn't pretty), and that when she has deceased the -letter is to go to me at once, and from that I draw the conclusion -that she has deceased and is no more, don't you see?" - -"I see," said the mate. "But does she say anything else? She hasn't -left you a ship by any chance?" - -"Not to say a ship," said Jordan, shaking his head, "but what's as -good. It appears that she naturally let on that she owned ships, -bein' a woman and a little inclined to brag, not havin' good looks to -fall back on, and it turns out that she was in the tug and lighter -line in Hartlepool, and, as I gather, doin' well enough, and makin' -money with three good tugs and a number of lighters and barges not -named, as well as a coal-yard with a well-established connection, and -she has left the whole shoot to me." - -"I congratulate you," said Thripp. "Now you are really independent -and can go for Gruddle & Co. just as you like." - -The skipper nodded. - -"So I can, Thripp, so I can; but it is a great pleasure to me to -think that I told 'em the truth and called 'em hogs before I had had -this letter. Thripp, I feel more like a man than I have done since -the very painful day that I had my certificate suspended. Now I'll -go and tell Cade. He'll be glad to know it." - -He turned to leave the bridge, when Thripp sighed. - -"I suppose if you do take 'em on to Table Bay we shall all get the -dirty kick-out there, sir?" said Thripp in rather a melancholy tone -of voice. - -The skipper laughed jovially. - -"Of course we shall, Thripp, but think of the satisfaction of doin' -it! Oh, but I'm a happy man this hour! And if you can guess what I -mean to do in addition to takin' them where they by no manner of -means want to go, I'll stand you a bottle of their champagne, of -which I mean to have some or bust." - -"It's all very well for you now, with your tugs and your lighters and -a coal-yard," grumbled Thripp, "but what about me and Cade, and our -wives?" - -The 'old man' stared at his chief officer in the very greatest -surprise. - -"Why, didn't I say that I wanted you and him to come into the -business with me, if you ain't too proud to be the skipper of a tug -and manage lighters and a coal-yard?" - -"You never said a word about it," said Thripp with a pleased and -happy smile. "But if you mean that, I'm in with you, sir, and -anything you like to do with the firm shall have my heartiest -support, even if you go so far as to turn 'em for'ard to work." - -Jordan looked at him with the intensest surprise. - -"How in the name of all that is holy and righteous did you guess it?" -he asked with wide-opened eyes. "Thripp, my man, that is my -intention, and no mistake about it. But keep it dark, and I will -wake up Cade and make him joyful, a thing he very rarely is, for his -career havin' not been a success appears to weigh on his mind, and -his missis is a tartar, as I judge. Women worship success, and the -fact that the poor old girl that has left me these tugs knew that I -came to grief, and yet offered to marry me in spite of it, touched me -at the time as much as the tugs do now." - -In five minutes there were three exceedingly happy officers on board -the _Nemesis_. Such a thing had not happened in one of Messrs. -Gruddle & Company's boats since there had been such a firm. But now -there were four very unhappy partners. - -"I can't think why they are so happy," said Gruddle when the skipper -and the mate came down and began their dinner, "but I feel sure it -don't mean any good to us. I never was in such a position, and I -don't believe it ever happened before that the owners of a vessel was -in such a one. Oh, what shall we do if he won't go to Gib?" - -At his instigation a bottle of champagne was sent over to the -captain's table. - -"Don't you understand, Butterworth," said the senior partner, when -Butterworth objected, "that we are in a persition that is, I may say, -unparalleled? A captain has an awful lot of power, and I gather from -'is be'aviour that 'e knows it. In the office we gave 'im all proper -orders for Capetown, and said nothin' about Gibraltar, because you -hadn't been fool enough to suggest it then. If 'e won't go there we -can't make 'im, so if a little kindness and a bottle of champagne -will do it it is very cheap at the price." - -"I would like to murder 'im," said Butterworth, but the champagne was -sent over to the skipper's table all the same. It was returned quite -courteously, or, at anyrate, without any demonstration of hostility, -and the partners knew then that war had been declared, and that peace -could be obtained at no price, do what they would. They put it all -down to the letter that Sloggett had given him, and they attacked -Sloggett, who in revenge drank far more wine than he could stand, and -went first for one of them and then for another, and finally got up -enough steam to swear at the captain. In one minute and fifteen -seconds by any good chronometer Mr. Sloggett was in irons, and in a -spare berth without anything to furnish it. Captain Jordan was -himself again, and not the kind of man to put up with anything from -anybody. - -When Sloggett was quiet and subdued, the skipper told them in a few -brief but well-chosen words what he and his officers and the whole -ship's company thought of them. He told them his opinion of their -charity, and of the wages they paid, and of the grub they put on -board their vessel. He went on to state in very vivid language what -was said of them all the world over, and then paused for a reply, -which they did not give him. He asked them what they thought of -themselves, and whatever they thought upon that subject they did not -venture to state it. He asked Thripp if he would like to say -anything, and Thripp did make a few remarks about things the captain -had omitted. Then Jordan asked them if they would like to hear Mr. -Cade on the subject, for if so Mr. Thripp could relieve the second -officer for a few minutes. They expressed no anxiety to hear any -more counsel for the prosecution, and then Gruddle made a -heart-rending appeal for mercy. - -"Oh, take us into Gibraltar, captain, and we will forgive you all, -and even raise your pay to what you think is the proper figure. Oh, -don't take us to Capetown, for there isn't food enough, and I shall -die of indigestion." - -"There is plenty of food," said Jordan. "Oh, there is heaps of grub -such as Mr. Shody sent on board himself, and as a lesson I'm goin' to -take you to South Africa, and I hope to the Lord that you will -survive it." - -Shody shivered; he knew what bad pork was like. Gruddle, as a Jew, -was no judge of it. But the beef was even worse than the pork, and -the men for'ard were almost in mutiny about it already. - -"But food like that is only fit for men who are doin' hard work," -said the unlucky Shody. The skipper's eyes flashed and then twinkled. - -"Is that so?" he said. "If it is so, there seems to be a remedy." - -What the remedy was he declined to state, and the firm declined to -believe that it could be the one that occurred to them all with -dreadful vividness. Oh no, it could not be that! Captain Jordan -left them thinking, and retired into privacy for the remainder of the -night. The trouble of wondering what was to happen to them came to -an end in the morning, when by some strange chance, if it was a -chance, the deck hands came as a deputation to the captain and laid a -complaint against the grub. Jordan requested the presence on deck of -the partners, and they knew better than to refuse. - -"What you have to say about the food will be better said before the -owners, my men," said the skipper. "As you know, they happen to be -on board." - -As he spoke they crawled on deck, looking very unhappy. The steward, -Smith, who began to see how the land lay, and treated them with far -less respect already, told them what the trouble was. - -"The men for'ard says the grub is rotten, gents, and they are furious -and fightable about it. Oh, they are savage and very 'ostile." - -That was distinctly calculated to cheer them up, and they were as -cheerful as if they were ordered three dozen at the gangway. With -them went Sloggett, who had been released from irons. - -"Oh, here you are, gentlemen," said the skipper cheerfully. For the -first time since he had been an officer all his sympathies were with -the men. He was no longer the captain only, he was also a man, and -he understood their point of view. "I thought it best that you -should hear the men's complaints about the food. Now then, my men, -what have you to say?" - -The spokesman of the crew stood in front of the rest, and after some -half-audible encouragement from his fellows he burst into speech. - -"The grub is 'orrid, sir. Oh, it is the 'orridest that we was ever -in company with. The pork stinks raw or boiled, and the beef fair -pawls the teeth of the 'ole crowd. The biscuit is full of worms, and -what isn't is as 'ard as flint. The butter makes us sick, sir. And -not to make a song about it, but to cut it short, we are bein' -starved." - -"I'm sorry to hear it," said the captain. "But I am not responsible -for the food, men, and when we get to Capetown I'll do my best to see -that better stores are put on board. For the stores that you speak -of Mr. Shody is responsible." - -"If they are bad I 'ave been imposed on," said Shody; but the men -made audible and disrespectful remarks which the captain suppressed -at once. - -"That will do. Go for'ard and I'll see what can be done." - -There was only one thing that could be done, and he did it there and -then. He had all the provisions that the partners had brought aboard -divided among the men for'ard. He sternly refused Thripp's -suggestion that the afterguard should share the plunder. Even more, -the remaining bottles of champagne went the same way, and for the -first time in their lives the deck-hands and stokers had a real glass -of wine that had cost someone ninety shillings a dozen. The firm -stood by in mute misery. - -"That's the beginnin'," said the skipper sternly, and not one of them -had the pluck to ask him what he meant. Gruddle went in tears to -Thripp and asked him. - -"You're the worst of the lot, you are," said the independent mate, -"and I decline to tell you. But I've no objection to throw out a -dark 'int that this boat is undermanned all round both on deck and in -the stokehold. Does the thought that that gives rise to in your mind -make you curl up? Oh, Gruddle, all this is real jam to us, and we -mean to scoff it to the very last spoonful. It will do us good!" - -Gruddle grasped him by the sleeve. - -"Oh, Mr. Thripp, if you'll 'elp us out of 'is 'ands we'll make you -the captain and give you anythin' you like to ask for in reason." - -"Would it run to a thousand pounds, do you think?" asked the mate. - -Gruddle groaned horribly, but said that he thought it might run so -far. - -"Then let me tell you," said Thripp, "that Jordan is an old pal of -mine, and I wouldn't go back on him for ten thousand, or even more. -And over and above that, my son, I wouldn't lose the sight of you -trimmin' coal in a bunker for the worth of the firm." - -He left Gruddle planted to the deck, a wretched sight for the gods, -and promptly told Jordan of the offer that had been made to him. -Jordan nodded. - -"I ain't surprised," said Jordan. "But, after all, Gruddle is by no -means the worst of the gang, and I won't send him down into the -stokehold. I mean to keep that for Shody. And I want you to -understand that I ain't doin' this out of revenge, but out of a sense -of public duty." - -He quite believed it, and Thripp saw that he did. - -"It's all hunky so far as I'm concerned," said Thripp, "and I hope -that you will put Butterworth in Cade's watch and Sloggett in mine." - -That was exactly what the skipper had decided on, and he was much -surprised to see that Thripp had fathomed his mind. - -"To-morrow by noon we shall just about be abreast of Gib, and a long -way to the west of it," said Jordan. "I'll give 'em liberty till -then, and when I send 'em for'ard I will tell 'em how near Gib is. -It will serve them right. I will do it without visibly triumphing -over them, Thripp, for I don't believe in treadin' on those who are -down." - -"No more do I, sir," said the mate, "not unless they thoroughly -deserve it." - -He left the captain pondering over the situation, and presently -imparted to Butterworth the fate in store for him. As Butterworth -had nothing whatever to say he went on to the bridge and told Cade of -the joy to come. Cade was very magnanimous. - -"I'll treat him no worse than any of the others," said Cade with a -smile, "no worse." - -"That's good of you," said Thripp. - -"Not a bit worse," said Cade again. "They are a holy lot of ruffians -in the starboard watch, as you know, and I'll give them all socks if -they don't look out. I tell you, sir, that I'm about sorry for -Butterworth in that gang. Almost, but not quite." - -He had a habit of repeating his words, of chewing the cud of them, -and Thripp heard him once more mumble to himself that he was almost -sorry, 'but not quite.' The mate knew that the one who would be -quite sorry was Butterworth. He also had suspicions that Mr. -Sloggett as a deck hand under his own supervision was likely to learn -many things of which he was at present ignorant. He went to the -engine-room and saw the chief engineer. To him he revealed the -interesting fact that Shody was to be made an extra hand on the -engine-room staff. Old Maclehose grinned like a monkey at the sight -of a nut. - -"Weel, weel, and do you say so?" asked Mac. "That is most -encouragin', and it's more than whusky to me. He's the man that is -responsible for all the stores, is he not, Thripp?" - -Thripp said that he was. - -"My boys will kill him, I shouldna wonder," said Mac. "But if they -should, I'm hopin' it will be an accident, Thripp." - -He wiped his hands with a lump of waste, and thereby signified that -he wiped his hands of Shody's untimely decease. - -"The oil is bad," said Mac. "I'm of a solid opeenion that Shody -won't be so oily after we are through the tropics as he is the noo." - -He said no more. He was a man of few words. Thripp knew he could be -trusted for deeds. He went on deck and was almost sorry for Shody. -The partners were quite sorry for themselves, and felt as helpless as -flies in the web of a spider. They ceased to struggle, and when the -usual grub of the _Nemesis_ was served to them by an insolent -steward, who cared no longer for their authority, they sat and did -not eat it and said nothing. - -The end came at noon next day, when they were all on deck in fine -weather, with Gibraltar far away on the port beam. Old Mac came on -deck and complained to the skipper that he was short-handed in the -stokehold. Cade spoke up with a pleasant grin. - -"You know, Mr. Maclehose, that we can't spare you anyone from the -deck. We're short ourselves, are we not, Mr. Thripp?" - -"Two short at least," said Thripp, who also smiled as if he were -pleased with the fact. - -"I'll find you help," said Jordan, who was the only one who did not -smile. He turned to the partners, who were clustered together in a -sullen and disconsolate group. - -"Do you hear, gentlemen, that the chief engineer is short of the -hands he should have? I think I told you so in the office, and if I -remember rightly, Mr. Shody said I would have to do on what the firm -thought enough." - -Shody turned as white as new waste, and then grew the colour of waste -that has been used. The others fidgeted uneasily, but no one said -anything. - -"Under the circumstances I have concluded to give you the assistance -of Mr. Shody," said the skipper. - -"I won't go," roared Shody. "You can't make me. It is a crime, and -I protest. Oh, it is scandalous!" - -"You _will_ go," said Jordan, "and I'll see that you do. I'm goin' -to teach you all something, I can assure you. And if you don't -follow Mr. Maclehose at once, I'll have the stokers up to carry you -down." - -Gruddle implored the skipper to be merciful, and Jordan said that he -would be. - -"You are the oldest of the lot, Gruddle, and I have decided that I -can best avail myself of your services by askin' you to assist the -steward. The duties will not be heavy, and all you are asked is to -be polite and willin'. You can now commence. If you stand there and -argue I will put you into the stokehold along with Mr. Shody." - -Gruddle did not attempt to argue. He was much too afraid that the -captain would keep his word. He crawled down below and went to -Smith, who set him to work on the light and easy task of cleaning out -the captain's berth. While he was at it he heard loud yells from the -main-deck, and was told by the steward that four stokers were -carrying his partner Shody down below. Over what happened there a -decent veil may be drawn. Old Maclehose and the engine-room -complement had very little trouble with him and taught him a very -great deal in a very short time. Sloggett, whose spirit had been -taken out of him by being put in irons, went into the mate's watch -without a single kick; and though Butterworth began to say something, -what he was about to tell them never got further than his lips. Cade -caught him by the neck, and running him aft discharged him at the -door of the fo'c'sle, and recommended him to the tender mercies of -the watch below. - -"There, that is done now," said Jordan. "I feel once more as if I -was captain of my own ship, and as if I had performed a public duty." - -"We may get into trouble, you know," said Thripp. - -"Not at all," said the skipper. "They will never dare say a word -about it, and when we anchor in Table Bay we'll lock them up, and -skip ashore and start for England under other names right off. Timms -of the _Singhalese_ will be about sailin' the very day we should get -there, and he'll be only too pleased to hear the yarn and give us a -passage. In two months we'll be runnin' the tug and lighter -business, Thripp, and Cade can run the coal-yard." - -He smoked a happy pipe. - - - - -THE STRANGE SITUATION OF CAPTAIN BROGGER - -"Brogger is no class!" said the crowd for'ard in the _Enchantress_, a -big barque belonging to Liverpool, and just then loading wheat at -Portland, Oregon. "Billy Brogger is no class; but mean--mean to the -backbone!" - -They hated him worse than poison, for there are some kinds of poison -that sailormen do not hate. And Jack Eales, who was the head and -soul and mouthpiece of the starboard watch, for the hundredth time -explained the reason of their hatred. - -"On'y it ain't 'atred," said Eales, "it ain't 'atred. It's plain, -straightforward despisery. I've sailed with rough and tough and 'ard -skippers, and never 'ated 'em. But our 'old man' is religious -without no religion. Oh, that's a mean thing, that is! And there's -no pleasin' of 'im. Never a decent word, nor a tot out of 'im if we -works our innards out. The skipper ain't no class! 'E lets on to -despise sailormen, and calls us ignorant. And what's 'is word for -ever when 'e's jawin'--'You no sailor, you!' And 'ere I am ready to -lay my duff for a month of Sundays against 'alf a pint of dandyfunk -that 'e couldn't make a four-stranded Mattie Walker to save 'is -unsaved soul! Called me no sailor, didn't 'e, over a real nice job -of wire splicin'! I'll bet the 'old man' couldn't do an eye splice -in a piece of inch and an 'alf manilla without thinkin' about it. -Those that know 'im say 'e was the clumsiest ass ever sent to sea. -Went up six times for 'is second mate's stiff. Why, the mate and the -second 'ere knows 'im for no seaman, and 'e's as 'andy with a 'ambone -as a pig with a pianner. They two loaths 'im just as much as us!" - -There was a deal of truth in the indictment, for Brogger would never -have got a ship but for the fact that the chief owners of the -_Enchantress_ were his elder brothers. - -"'Tis a pity we don't skip out here," said one of the men, "the old -swine would have his work cut out to get a fresh crowd." - -"Ay, it's a pity we're such a quiet, sober crowd," replied Eales, who -on occasion was neither quiet nor sober; "but, as I showed you after -our passage out 'ere, it would be money in Brogger's pocket and the -owners' if we quit. And 'tis true 'e owns about three sixty-fourths -of 'er 'imself. The boardin'-'ouse bosses are selling sailors at -sixty dollars per 'ead. Flesh and blood are cheap to-day! I wish I -could hinvent somethin' to get even with the 'old man' in this bally, -rowdy, shanghain' old Portland. I'll give ten dollars to the son of -a gun that gives me the least 'int of a working scheme to do it." - -"D'ye mean it, Jack Eales?" asked the whole crowd. - -"Don't jump down a man's throat simultaneous," said Eales -indignantly, "for in course I means it. And what's more, I've got -the stuff. I ain't relyin' on that blasted old devil dodger aft for -no measly five bob a week. Since I took the pledge not to get -drunk--real drunk, that is--more'n once a month, I can trust myself -with money, and I've got it 'ere." - -He kicked the chest on which he sat to show his bank. - -"Blimy," said a young cockney called Corlett, who was the happiest -chap on board, "I'll 'ave a shot for Jack's ten dollars!" - -"My chest's not locked," said Jack, and among so friendly a crowd the -suggestion, which was the friendliest joke, was marked up to Eales as -happy wit. - -"I'm in the race for that purse," said Bush, who was the oldest -seaman on board. - -"We're all after it," said the crowd, and for days afterwards they -chased Jack Eales with absurd proposals, the very least of which was -a felony, and the most pleasing absolute piracy. - -"Oh, go to thunder," said Jack, when a lump of a chap called Pizzey -proposed to scuttle the _Enchantress_ as she lay alongside the wharf. - -"Oh, very well," said Pizzey, who was much hurt at the way his plan -was received, "but I'll have you know that if you do it after all, -that ten dollars is mine." - -The nature of seamen is so childlike, so forgetful, so forgiving, -that without further and continual irritation they would have talked -till the vessel was towed down the Willamette and the Columbia, and -for that matter all the way to Liverpool. But the skipper saw to it -that they had something to growl about. He kept them working a -quarter of an hour after knock-off time three times a week. He cut -down their usual five shillings a week to a dollar, on the ground -that he was reckoning in dollars just then. The fresh grub he sent -on board was enough, as they said in the fo'c'sle, to make a pig take -to fasting. And he nagged and growled without ceasing till Plump, -the mate, who was a very decent fellow, hated him worse than the crew -did. He listened to the second mate Dodman, when Dodman burst out -into long-suppressed bad language. - -"I oughtn't to agree with you, but I do, I own it freely," said -Plump, as they stood against the poop-rail and watched Brogger pick -his way through the mud on the wharf. "I ought to tell you to dry -up, Mr. Dodman, but I find it hard to do my duty." - -"He's a miserable, mean, measly, growling, discontented devil," said -Dodman in a red heat, as he mopped his forehead. "Comes and tells me -I ain't fit to stow mud in a mud-barge. Ain't it true when he was -second in this same old _Enchantress_ he stowed sugar on kerosine? -And if the old swab can rig a double Spanish burton, I'll eat this -belayin' pin. Our skipper's a know-nothing, sir." - -"It's my duty not to listen to you," said Plump sadly. "I don't hear -you, Mr. Dodman." - -"Then I'd like to roar it through a speakin' trumpet," said the -insubordinate second greaser. "I'd love to put it into flags, and -let every ship in Portland learn the precious truth. Didn't he say -it was your fault, sir, that Smith skipped out last night?" - -"He did," said Plump darkly, "when he'd told the best worker in the -ship that he was a soldier! Told him he was a soldier!" - -With the land alongside, what could any self-respecting seaman do but -go ashore after so dire an insult? They say at sea 'a messmate -before a shipmate, a shipmate before a dog, and a dog before a -soldier.' It was no wonder Smith skipped, and was just then roaring -drunk in Lant and Gulliver's, who were the boss boarding-house -masters in Portland, and bought and sold seamen as a ranchman might -cattle. - -And that very night Corlett came up to Jack Eales as he was going -ashore, and put his hand on his shoulder. The young cockney had a -grin upon him which, properly divided, would have made the whole -ship's company look happy. - -"That ten dollars is mine," said Corlett. "Jack, you're ten dollars -short. I wouldn't part with my claim on it for nine dollars and -ninety-nine cents." - -"We've 'eard too many rotten dodges lately," said Eales, "to take -that in. What's the news now?" - -But Corlett shook his head. - -"I'm for the shore with you, sonny, and I'll tell you goin' along." - -He bubbled as he walked, and every now and again burst into a roar of -laughter, which was so infectious that Eales joined in at last. - -"You are a funny bloke," said Eales; "and I'll say this for you, -Corlett: I've never looked on you as no fool." - -And Corlett sat down on a pile of lumber and laughed till he ached. - -"Me a fool! Jack Eales, I'm the smartest cove on this coast. My -notion's worth an 'undred dollars. It's as clear as mud, and as easy -as eatin' good soft tack, and so neat that I wonder at myself. And -it fits everythin'--everythin'." - -"Then out with it," said Eales. - -And Corlett came out with it. - -"By Gosh!" said Eales--"by Gosh!" - -He collapsed upon an adjacent pile of lumber and gasped. - -"You've no right to be at sea," he said presently; "a man with your -'ead, Corlett, ought to 'ave a public-'ouse in a front street, and -nothin' to pay for drinks. I've only three dollars on me. 'Ere's a -dollar and an 'alf. I owe you eight-fifty." - -He walked ten yards and came back again. - -"You should 'ave bumps on your 'ead," he sighed. "This is -hintellec', Corlett. It ain't mere cleverness, this isn't." - -"You don't say so," said the cockney modestly. - -"I do say so," replied Eales with great firmness; "I say it freely." - -And they walked up town. - -"You see," said Corlett, "'ow the 'ole thing stows itself away. It -'ardly needs management. Lant and Gulliver 'ates 'im, and they're -that jealous of Shanghai Smith down in 'Frisco with 'is games, -they'll jump at this. And then it's well known Mr. Plump ain't got -'is master's ticket. And young Dodman on'y got 'is second's ticket a -v'yge ago. There'll be no goin' back on it if the agents find the -right man. By the 'Oly Frost, Jack, we'll diskiver yet if old -Brogger is 'alf a bally seaman anyway." - -"It's a merricle, Corlett, it's a merricle!" said Jack Eales. "I -never quite properly understood what books I've looked into meant by -the pure hintellec'. You're clean wasted at sea, so you are. -To-night we'll think it over, and to-morrow you and me will go as a -committee of deputation to Lant and Gulliver if we sees no flaw in -the thing." - -"Take my word, there ain't no flaw in it," said Corlett. - -"I'm inclined to believe you," said Eales, almost humbly. "I never -thought to own up that a man on board the _Enchantress_ was my equal, -let alone my superior." - -He sighed, but Corlett encouraged him. - -"'Tis on'y a fluke, Jack." - -"No, no," said Jack; "no, no, this is real 'ead-work. I knows it -when I sees it. I'm proud to be shipmates with you, Corlett. Shake -'ands again." - -They shook hands, and presently Corlett spent the one dollar and -fifty cents which he had earned by pure intellect. - -"Per'aps I'm a fool to be at sea," he said to himself. "I shouldn't -wonder if Jack's right." - -And next evening they walked up to Lant and Gulliver's, and demanded -to see either or both of the partners in private. - -"'Tis puttin' our 'eads in the lion's mouth to come 'ere," said Jack -Eales, "and you and me will do well not to touch a drop, whatever -these land-sharks offer, Corlett. Doped drinks ain't for me just -now. So don't go large at all, my son." - -"I won't," said Corlett, "if none of 'em don't offer me a drink three -times, I can 'old off it, Jack. Sayin' 'no' once is tol'rable easy. -I can squeeze out a second if it's a case of 'ave to; but what I -dread's the third." - -Jack Eales nodded. - -"The third time's what proves a man's principles, I own. I've gone -to four times more than once soon after bein' very much under the -weather. But 'ere we are." - -They came to Lant and Gulliver's boarding-house, the whole front of -which was a saloon. It looked a 'tough' house, and it was tough both -inside and out. These gentry had a 'pull' in Portland which enabled -them to do as they pleased, and the only thing that pleased them was -to make money. Most of the other boarding-houses had been fined out -of existence, owing to a law that Mr. Lant had lobbied for at Salem. -His conduct in the matter had brought him much praise for noble -disinterestedness. He had asked for fines of five hundred dollars -for gross infractions of the law instead of fifty, and the -unsuspecting Legislature said it was a splendid suggestion, and -passed the Bill with unanimity. As a result, his rivals, who were -comparatively poor scoundrels without his control of the police, shed -their dollars once or twice and then went under, and he had a -monopoly. Both Lant and Gulliver had what Jack Eales called 'pure -hintellec''; they would have adorned the bench in Ohio; they might -have shone as Finance Ministers in Costa Rica or Panama. - -"Well, wot is it?" asked Lant, who had the eyes and jaws and nose of -a pugilist, and the domed skull of a philosopher. "Wot's the trouble -here? What ship are you off of?" - -"We wants a private talk with you, sir," said Eales, who had never -met Lant before, and was more scared of him than he would have been -of any admiral. For Lant and Gulliver's reputation is -world-wide--all men who go down to the sea in ships know them. - -He wrinkled his brows at them and considered for a moment. Then he -led the way into the private snuggery, in which as much scoundrelism -had been concocted as if it had been the head office of a great Trust -or the Russian Foreign Office. - -"Spit it out," said Lant as he sat down. - -"We're in the _Enchantress_, sir," said Eales. - -"And you want to get out, eh? What's my runners about? Haven't they -bin aboard of you yet?" - -He frowned savagely, and Eales hastened to acquit any of his -myrmidons of such gross negligence. - -"Oh yes, sir," he said, "they've been down every day, but on'y one -man 'as quit. We don't want to leave 'er, but we ain't satisfied -with the skipper, sir, and we know, or at least we suspect, that 'e -ain't no favourite of yours neither, Mr. Lant, sir." - -"Well, and if he ain't?" said Lant. - -"'E do abuse you something awful; don't 'e, Corlett?" - -"Awful," said Corlett; "it's 'orrid to 'ear 'im." - -"And 'e shipped nearly all real teetotallers to do you in the eye, -sir," said Eales, "for 'e said, sir, as no sober man would 'ave -nothing to do with you." - -"Are you a teetotaller?" asked Lant. - -"To-day I am," said Eales hurriedly. "I was drunk yesterday, and the -day after I can't look at an empty bottle even without cold shivers, -sir. And it's the same with my mate; ain't it, Corlett?" - -"The sight of a tot would make me sick," said Corlett plaintively. - -"Well, well," said Lant, "what's your game? Spit it out, I say. I -can't give all my time to hearin' you've not the stomach of a man -between you. Now, quick, what is it?" - -But Eales stood first on one leg and then on the other. - -"You, Corlett!" - -"No, not me," said the seaman of pure intellect. - -"Well, then, sir, Mr. Lant, does you 'ave any sort of respect for -Captain Brogger, or would you like to get even for 'is most unkind -language respectin' you?" - -Lant looked him up and down, and for a moment was inclined to break -out violently. But he hated Brogger, who had injured his prestige -once before by taking out of Portland every man he brought into it, -and he was curious besides. - -"Suppose I'd like to do him up complete-ly," said Lant, staring at -Bales hard. - -"And make 'im fair redik'lus and the laughin' stock of the 'ole -coast?" - -"That would suit me," said Lant. "It would fit me like a dandy suit -of clothes." - -"'E's the nastiest, meanest skipper as ever lay in the Willamette; -ain't 'e, Corlett?" - -"I never 'eard of a measlier," said Corlett, looking for a cuspidor -in order to accentuate his verdict. - -"Then 'ere's for tellin' Mr. Lant the 'ole thing," said Eales -desperately. And when he was 'through' with his scheme, Lant lay -back in his chair and laughed till he cried. - -"It's great," he said, "it's great. Holy Mackinaw, it's great! And -you say he's no seaman?" - -"'E ain't even a thing in place of it, sir," said Eales. - -"And you really won't drink?" - -Eales looked at Corlett, and Corlett looked at Eales. - -"We wouldn't mind takin' a bottle down on board, sir," said Corlett, -who once more proved his intellectual capacity. - -"And mind you keep your mouths shut," said Lant. - -"Wild 'orses shan't drag a word out of us, sir," said Eales, "for -when my mate's drunk 'e's sulky, and I'm 'appy but speechless." - -And down they went on board the _Enchantress_ with their bottle, -while Lant held a council of war with his chief runner. - -* * * * * * * - -Portland is a hard place; there is no harder place in the world. San -Francisco, for all its reputation, which it owes so greatly to the -gold times, is a sweet and easy health resort compared with the -trading capital of Oregon. Oregonians from all parts of the State -say it is a selfish city, with no more sense of State patriotism than -an Italian city of the fifteenth century had of national patriotism. -But in these days Portland is beginning to get a trifle nervous about -its reputation. It is beginning to get written about, and the truth -is told occasionally as to what goes on there. This is why a sudden -and remarkable disappearance of Captain Brogger, two days before the -_Enchantress_ was due to be towed down stream to the ocean, caused -rather more sensation than it might have done a few years ago. The -newspapers took two sides, and regarded two hypotheses as needing no -proof. The papers which were trying to make Portland smell sweetly -in the nostrils of the mercantile world said that some of the -boarding-house bosses might be able to clear up the mystery. They -gave reasons for supposing that Brogger was not loved by the tyrants -of the water-front. But other papers declared that he had been -knocked on the head and dumped into the river by some of his own -crew. One reporter declared that a more evil-looking lot of ruffians -than the crowd on board the _Enchantress_ never towed past Kalama. -This journal was partially owned by Lant and Gulliver. They owned -something of everything, even a judge. And the good police did what -they were told, so long as it was possible. They set about a story -that Brogger had committed suicide. The crew said he had been -looking wild of late. Mr. Plump had no theory, and was only mad that -he had no master's certificate. Young Dodman went round whistling, -in spite of the fact that he was the last man to have a real shine -with the skipper. - -"I hope he won't come back, that's all," said Dodman. "If he does -I'm for the shore, boys; I'm for the shore. I've not known what it -was to be happy for months till now." - -But Plump grew haggard running to the police and the agents. The -_Enchantress_ was full up to the deck-beams with the best Oregon -wheat, and was ready to go to sea. Every hour's delay meant a notch -against him with the owners. And yet, as the owners were the missing -skipper's brothers, he did not like to hurry. But the agents, who -cared about no man's brother, put their foot down. - -"We've found you a captain, Mr. Plump." - -"What sort?" asked Plump anxiously. - -"He's a good man and well recommended, and a thorough seaman." - -"That'll be a change," said Plump. "Poor old Brogger was fit to -skipper a canal-barge. All right, if you say so. We're ready if -your new man is. All we want is another hand, and he's coming on -board to-night if we sail to-morrow. We've had luck that way, -whatever else has gone wrong. If Brogger had lived I believe he'd -have lost the whole crowd the way he was shaping. He grew meaner -every day." - -And that night the new skipper came on board. He shook hands with -his officers, and in half an hour Plump had almost forgotten his want -of a master's ticket, and Dodman was swearing by the new man; for -Captain John Greig was a man, and no mistake! He was quick and hard -and bright and humorous, and there was that about him which was -better than any extra certificate--he looked a seaman, and was one. -And he was as happy as he could be to get a good ship. The vessel in -which he had been mate had gone home without him, owing to his -getting smallpox. - -"I think we shall do," said Greig. "I wonder what became of that old -duffer Brogger? Well, it's an ill wind that don't serve some -skipper. I'm a skipper at last, and with any luck I'll stay so." - -Early next morning, just as the _Enchantress_ was making ready to tow -down the river, and when the whole world was still dark save where -the dawn on the great peak of Mount Hood showed a strange high gleam -to the eastward, Lant and Gulliver's chief runner came on board and -saw the mate. - -"The man we agreed to put on board is sick," said the runner, "and as -all our crowd here is fixed up for, we've wired down to Astoria to -our other house to send you a good man in his place." - -"Right," said Plump, who was standing on the fo'c'sle head--"right -you are. Ay, ay, sir, let go that head-line! Jump and haul--haul it -in, men!" - -The men were cheerful; there was something in the voice of a real man -now on the poop that bucked them up. And they knew as well as Plump -himself that he was happy to have got rid of Brogger. The -_Enchantress_ looked as if she was to be a happy ship on the passage -home. - -"You seem a derned happy family," said the runner to Jack Eales as he -skipped ashore. - -"So we are," said Jack. "But tell us what's the name of the chap -that'll come aboard at Astoria." - -"His name," said the runner--"his name--oh, it's Bill Juggins!" - -For he knew that Jack Eales knew more than he 'let on.' - -"The new man's name is Bill Juggins," he told Corlett five minutes -later, as they began to move swiftly down the smooth dark waters of -the Willamette while the early lights of the town still gleamed and -the snowy peak of Mount Hood was edged with roses in a rosy dawn. - -"'Is name is Juggins!" - -He slapped his thigh and laughed. They lay that night off Astoria, -and before the tow-line was again made fast to pull her out over the -great Columbia bar the new hand was put aboard in the usual condition -of alcoholic coma with not a little laudanum mixed with it. He was -stowed in a bunk in the fo'c'sle, where he lay just as they threw -him. But Jack and Corlett were as nervous now as two greenhorns on a -royal yard. - -"I'm all of a bally twitter, I am," said Jack Eales. "D'ye know, -Corlett, I ain't sure we ain't done after all. I don't believe I -ever see this joker before. Brogger 'ad a beard." - -"And Lant and Gulliver 'ad a razor," said Corlett. - -"Brogger was pippy and pasty and white as--oh--as white," urged -Eales, "and this josser is as black as a mulatter." - -"Walnuts grow in Oregon," said the wise Corlett. "D'ye think we -might let the crowd into the racket?" - -"No, no, man," said Jack, "don't let nobody know as we 'ad 'alf an -'and in it. The cove's name may be Juggins, but we'll be jugged." - -They were well out to sea, and the tug was a blotch of smoke to -windward, before Bill Juggins, A.B., showed the faintest sign of -life. And even then they only heard him grunt as he turned over -uneasily and went off on another cruise in the deep seas of sleep. - -"If he works like he sleeps," said the crowd in the second dog-watch, -"he'll be a harder grafter than Smith that skipped. It's a wonder -the second ain't been in after him." - -But the new skipper and Plump and Dodman hit it off so completely -that they sat together on the poop and told each other all about -everything in the happiest way. For Greig, though he was a hard -enough man in his way, had the gift of creating good humour along -with respect. - -"It's a wonder what became of my lamented predecessor," said Greig. - -"He's certainly dead, sir," said Plump. - -"As dead as mutton," agreed Dodman. - -"It would be a compliment to put the ship in mourning, as he owned a -share in her," said Greig; "and I think I shall do it." - -"There's enough blue paint on board, sir," said the second, "to put a -fleet into mourning. I don't know how it came here, for Captain -Brogger didn't care to be extra lavish with stores." - -It was Dodman's way of saying the deceased skipper was as mean as his -brothers. - -"Very well," said Greig; "you can do it as soon as you like, Mr. -Plump. These are customs which I hate to see die out. And now I -think I'll turn in." - -As he went he added-- - -"I believe we shall get on very well together, gentlemen." - -Plump and Dodman said they were sure of it, and when he had gone -below they said-- - -"He's all right." - -At midnight Plump went below too, and Dodman walked the weather side -of the poop in a happier frame of mind than he had known since he -came on board the vessel in Liverpool. The wind was fine and steady -out of the east, and the _Enchantress_ slipped through the water very -sweetly. - -"Damme," said poor Dodman, "I believe I could sing." - -He walked aft, looked at the compass, stared over the taffrail at the -wake, looked aloft to see if the gaff topsail, which was an ill-cut -and ill-conditioned sail, was in decent shape, and then whistled. -Being right aft he did not see a short, dark man come from the -fo'c'sle and stagger along the main-deck. But Bales and Corlett saw -him and left the rest of the starboard watch, who were yarning -quietly on the spare topmast lashed under the rail. - -"'E's come to," said Eales. "Holy sailor, this is a game!" - -Bill Juggins, A.B., laid hold of a belaying pin in the fife rail of -the main-mast, and swayed to and fro like a wet swab in a cross sea. - -"Where am I?" said Bill Juggins. "This is a nightmare. I want to -wake." - -He held tight and pondered. But his brain reeled. - -"I have no beard," said the new seaman; "I'm clean shaved. My hair's -that short I can't catch hold of it. These ain't my clothes. I -can't stand straight. But if this ain't my ship I'm mad." - -"D'ye 'ear the pore devil?" asked Jack. - -"I 'ears," said Corlett. "If 'e 'adn't told me I was a soldier I -should say it was pafettick to 'ear 'im." - -"This is a barque," said poor Juggins, "and so's the _Enchantress_. -But she's at sea, and yesterday she was in Portland not ready to go -for three days. This is a dream, it's an awful, awful dream. I'll -wake up, I will, I will!" - -He hung on the pin desperately, and as he stood there Dodman walked -for'ard to the break of the poop. He whistled lightly. - -"Dodman used to whistle," said the man in a nightmare. "I used to -tell him I wouldn't have it. I said it was a street-boy's habit. I -shall wake presently, oh yes." - -"Who's that jabbering on the main-deck?" asked Dodman. - -"It's me," said the jabberer weakly, as a cloud of laudanum floated -over his brain. "It's me, and I don't know who I am." - -But Dodman jumped as if he had been shot. This was a voice from the -grave; there seemed no mistaking Brogger's wretched pipe. But before -the second mate could speak Jack Eales intervened. - -"'Tis the new 'and wot come aboard at Astoria, sir. 'Is name is Bill -Juggins." - -The man from Astoria wavered doubtfully and looked up at the poop. - -"I know that voice," he murmured. "That's Dodman." - -"The pore chap's very drunk yet, sir," said Eales. - -"Take him away for'ard," said Dodman, with a gasp. - -"My name--my name's Brogger!" piped the man from Astoria. - -"It's Juggins--Bill Juggins!" said Eales firmly, as he took him by -the arm. "Brogger's dead, Juggins. 'E's dead and buried. Lant's -liquor 'as been too much for you." - -And Juggins burst into tears. - -"I _thought_ I was Brogger," he said feebly. "But poor Brogger had a -beard." - -"So 'e 'ad," said Eales; "and 'e was as white as veal, and you're a -fine, 'ealthy, dark colour. Come back and doss it out, my son. The -pafettick story of the pore chap's death 'as been too much for you." - -He and Corlett led the man for'ard and put him in his bunk, where he -wept copiously. - -"What are you so sad about?" asked Corlett. "You're no better than a -soldier!" - -The whole watch crowded in after them. - -"What's wrong?" they asked. - -"The chap that's tanked up says 'e's Brogger," said Eales. - -The whole watch laughed so that the port watch woke up and cursed -them with unanimous blasphemy. - -"But this josser says 'e's Brogger!" urged the starboard watch in -extenuation of their gross infraction of fo'c'sle law. - -"Then 'e's no seaman," said the sulky port watch, "for Brogger 'ardly -knew 'B' from a bull's foot as a sailorman. Dry up, and let us go to -sleep!" - -But Brogger kept on saying he was Brogger, till Pizzey, the biggest -seaman in the port watch, threatened to bash him if he wasn't quiet. - -"But--but I know you all," said Brogger. "If I wasn't me, how should -I?" - -"More knows Tom Fool than Tom Fool knows," said Pizzey. And he used -such horrible threats that the skipper was quailed and became quiet, -and at last fell asleep. - -And in the meantime Dodman went down below and woke up Plump, who was -in his first sleep. - -"What's wrong?" asked Plump, as soon as he found that he was being -waked three hours before his time. "You're as white as putty, -Dodman." - -Dodman shook his head and could hardly speak. When he did speak, -Plump fell back upon his pillow and gasped. - -"Brogger ain't dead," said Dodman. "Mr. Plump, Brogger's on board." - -"You're mad!" cried Plump. - -"I wish I was," said Dodman. "This is a Portland plant--this is a -coast game. They shaved him and browned him and drugged him, and he -came aboard at Astoria as a foremast hand!" - -There was a deep silence for at least five minutes, and then Plump -said, almost with a wail-- - -"This is most disappointing!" - -There was a strange look in Dodman's face; it was so strange that -Plump sat up and looked at him. - -"Between you and me, sir," said Dodman, "he used to make both of us -uncomfortable." - -"He did," said Plump. - -"And he was no seaman." - -"He wasn't fit to sail a paper-boat in a bath," said Plump. - -"Then he's dead," said Dodman with a strange wink. And Plump's face -lighted up slowly. - -"He's still dead," said Plump. "And if the owners don't like it they -can lump it. And, what's more, I don't believe our new skipper would -stand aside now for any man that ever breathed." - -"If he does he's not the man I take him for," said the second mate. -"I shall get up that blue paint in the forenoon watch, sir." - -"Get it up," said Plump. And in ten minutes he fell fast asleep -again. For it takes more than a little to rob a seaman of his -slumber. But at four bells in the morning watch he had to -communicate the news to the new skipper, who was an early bird. He -broke the news warily, for he dreaded lest the 'old man' should do -something in a hurry which he and others might repent of afterwards. - -"It would be a mighty strange thing, sir, if Captain Brogger wasn't -dead after all," he remarked just a trifle nervously after Greig had -walked the deck once or twice. - -"He might rise up now and find his ship missing," said Greig with a -chuckle. "After all, that's only what I did, Mr. Plump. I was -crazy, luny, dotty, and raving with fever before I was taken out of -the _Winchelsea_, and when I came to she was days at sea." - -He marched up and down again. - -"And a dashed good man got my billet," he said, "and now I don't envy -it him. It was a bit of luck my getting this, Mr. Plump, though in a -way I own I'm sorry that you couldn't have it. I know that's tough." - -Plump sighed. - -"I'd ha' had my ticket, sir, but for a fluke that a youngster going -up for second mate might have been ashamed of. A plus for a minus, -and I was minus. You wouldn't like to step down for Captain Brogger -now, sir?" - -"Minus Brogger is plus me," said Greig. "I'd not step down to -loo'ard for all the Brogger family up from the tomb." - -"No more would I, sir," said Plump. "But----" - -"But what?" asked the 'old man.' - -And Plump gasped a bit. - -"Last night, sir----" - -Greig stared at him curiously. - -"Don't hang in the wind like that!" he said sharply. "What is it?" - -Plump burst out with what it was, and told Greig in a fine flow of -words what the second mate had said. - -"By crimes!" said Greig. "By all that's holy!" - -He walked the deck for a minute, and then came back and stood close -to his mate. - -"Have you seen this man?" - -"No, sir." - -"Did Mr. Dodman believe him?" - -"Dodman isn't a fool, sir. No doubt it seemed to him that the man -had heard the tale of the captain's disappearance, and, having been -on the drink, he took it into his head that he is Brogger." - -Greig turned his back to the mate and stared to windward. - -"It's delirium tremens, of course," he said. "That's plain. I'll -see him after breakfast, unless he's sober and comes to his senses." - -He went below. - -"Crawl down now, and for a ghost!" said Greig. "If I do I'll be -damned!" - -And just then Brogger was sitting up in his bunk, chewing his fingers -and trying to reconstruct the lost days. He had elusive visions of -strange interviews, he tasted strange drinks, his head ached with -horrid drugs, he recalled strange snatches of talk by strangers. And -out of the phantasmagoria of his jumbled vision there came sometimes -the powerful and brutal face of Lant, of the firm of Lant and -Gulliver. - -"Someone hit me!" he said aloud. And Jack Eales, who was wide awake, -heard him. - -"Where am I? I'm in a dirty fo'c'sle!" - -He seemed to remember vaguely that he had been out on deck in the -night. He looked up and saw Eales' face dimly. - -"What ship's this?" he asked. - -"It ain't a ship," said Eales; "this is hell!" - -Brogger shook his head dismally. - -"It ain't--you're jokin' with me! What am I doin' here? Is this my -ship?" - -"You was shipped in her," said Eales. "You came aboard in Astoria. -Your name's Juggins." - -"I'm Brogger--Captain William Brogger!" said Brogger. - -"Hush, hush!" said Eales. "Don't say it. All the men 'ere 'as sworn -to 'ave Brogger's life if 'e's alive. They say Brogger was mean, and -made them un'appy. 'E called good sailormen sojers; 'e give 'em bad -grub; 'e wouldn't 'ave no clothes dried in the galley off the 'Orn; -'e never gave 'em no forenoon watch in. In the dirtiest weather he -'ad 'em makin' sennit between shortenin' and makin' sail. 'E wasn't -no sailor, they says, to add to it all. And it's a sayin' 'ere that -Brogger saved 'is life by bein' killed, same as the pig did 'is by -dyin'. For Gawd's sake don't say you're Brogger, or there'll be -blood knee-deep--if there's blood in Brogger!" - -"I'll--I'll go aft," said Brogger tremulously. - -"Don't you do it!" said Eales. "There's a new skipper on board; 'e's -as fierce and 'ard as if 'e was a bucko tough out of a Western Ocean -packet of the old days. 'E won't stand taffy, nor any sort of guff; -but 'e'll jump on your stummick quick." - -"Oh, what shall I do?" moaned Brogger. "Why, I know you! You're -Eales!" - -"And you're Juggins!" said Eales fiercely. And just then in came one -of the port watch and banged a tin can. - -"Starbowlines, ahoy! Turn out, you sleepers!" he roared. "Turn out, -turn out, my bully boys!" - -The starboard watch yawned and groaned and grunted, and showed -unwilling legs, and at last crawled out upon their chests as the boys -brought the tea and grub in. - -"Holy Moses!" said big Pizzey; "don't I remember that there was one -of the starboard watch that allowed he was Brogger?" - -"This is 'im," said Corlett, pointing. And the whole crowd roared. - -"'E's no more like old beast Brogger than I'm like the mate," said -Pizzey contemptuously. For Plump was a nice-looking man, and Pizzey -had a face like a bruised apple. "Where's your beard, Brogger?" - -"It's--it's shaved," said Brogger. - -"And where did you get them brown 'ands and that ma'og'ny face? -Brogger was as white as muck," said Bush. "And, besides, 'e's dead, -and there's no more in it than that." - -"I'm goin' aft," said Brogger. "There's a dreadful mistake -somewhere." - -But Corlett caught him by the tail of his jacket and sat him down on -a chest suddenly. - -"Less talk and more work, shipmate. Eat your breakfast." - -He helped the poor devil to a pannikin of tea and to a tin plate full -of bad bacon. - -"This tea's beastly," he declared. - -"Brogger's notion of wot's fit for sailors," said Corlett. "Drink -'is 'ealth in it." - -And Brogger drank. The hot infusion of the Lord knows what did him -good. The fumes of fusel oil and the clouds of laudanum rolled away -from him. - -"I know 'em all," he said--"I know 'em, every one. This is my ship; -this is the _Enchantress_. If it isn't, I'm mad!" - -He rose up suddenly and made a bolt for the door, and ran aft. As -his evil luck would have it, the very first person he ran against was -the new skipper, who looked at him very fiercely. - -"Where the devil are you running to?" asked Greig, giving him a push -in the chest that sent him reeling. - -"I'm Captain Brogger," said Brogger with the most lamentably weak air -of dignity. It sat on him like a frock-coat on a gorilla. - -"The devil you are?" said Greig. "So you're still drunk. Go -for'ard, or I'll cure you so quick!" - -But just then Plump came for'ard to the break of the poop. - -"Mr. Plump, Mr. Plump," cried Brogger. It has to be owned that the -mate started just a trifle at the sound of his voice. "Mr. Plump, -I'm Captain Brogger, and who's this?" - -"Stop," said Greig, "stop right here. Mr. Plump, do you recognise -this man?" - -It was impossible to recognise him by anything but his voice, and -Plump truly denied that he saw the least resemblance to the dead -skipper. - -"Call Mr. Dodman," said Greig. And Dodman said he couldn't see the -faintest likeness. - -"Then how do I know you all?" asked Brogger. - -"It's my belief you sailed with us three voyages back," said Dodman. -"I seem to have seen you somewhere." - -"That will do," said Greig; "go for'ard and behave yourself, or -you'll find out, whether you're Brogger or Juggins, or the Lord Muck -from Bog Island, that I'm captain here. Bo'son!" - -The bo'son came from the galley, where he was taking in the situation -with the cook. - -"Set this man to work," said Greig, "and keep your eye on him." - -And Brogger went for'ard like a lamb. - -"It's cruel! it's cruel!" said Brogger. But in less than two shakes -of a lamb's tail he found himself getting paint out of the bo'son's -locker in company with Corlett and Jack Eales. - -"What you've got to do, sonny," said Jack, who had half a mind to be -sorry for him, "is to do your duty and do it smart and quick. Just -now you're off-colour, so to speak, in spite of that 'ealthy -complexion of yours, and you don't feel well. Exercise will do you -good. We'll have you on a topsail-yard yet singin' out: ''Aul out to -loo'ard' with the best." He turned to Corlett. - -"What's all this bally paint for, Corlett?" he asked. - -"Blamed if I know," said his mate. - -But the other men were rigging up stages and getting them over the -side, while the bo'son mixed the paint. It was blue, and Corlett -stared hard at Eales. - -"Well, I'm d-dashed," said Eales; "this is the queerest start!" - -He watched the bo'son go up to the new hand and take him carefully by -the collar. - -"'Ere, you sculpin, take this pot and this brush and get down on this -stage----" - -"What for?" asked Brogger. "I'm--I'm----" - -"Oh, no, you ain't," said the bo'son quickly,--"you ain't 'im by a -long sight." - -"It's blue paint," said Brogger weakly. "It's blue." - -"Very blue," replied the bo'son drily. "And all that's white you'll -paint blue." - -He half-lifted Brogger on the rail, and watched him clamber down upon -the stage. A strange, quiet ripple of laughter ran along the men at -work. - -"I--I don't understand," said Brogger to Eales, who was sitting on -the stage with him. - -"It's a good sea compliment to them that's gone," said Eales. -"Paint, you beggar, paint." - -The bo'son put his head over the rail. - -"If you don't get to work, Juggins, I'll have to come down there and -talk with you." - -And the man who was spoken to knew of old what a terror the bo'son -could be if he liked. He shivered and dipped his brush in paint. -After he had made a few feeble strokes, the bo'son's head -disappeared, and Brogger whispered to Eales-- - -"Who's it for?" - -"It's for poor old Brogger," said Eales. - - - - -THE OVERCROWDED ICEBERG - -There was a deal of ice about, and it came streaming south, in all -kinds of shapes, right into the track of ships. There were -flat-topped bergs and ice-fields, and there were all kinds of -pinnacled danger-traps which were obviously ready to turn turtle and -load up any unwary steamer with more ice than she would ever require -to make cocktails with. That year ice was reported in great -quantities as far south as latitude 40°, and there is every reason to -believe that there was more ice run into than was ever reported by -one unlucky liner and five tramps which were posted at Lloyd's as -'Missing.' The Western Ocean is no-peace-at-any-price body of water, -and it tries those who sail it as high as any sea in the world, but -when the Arctic turns itself loose and empties its refrigerator into -the ocean fairway it becomes what seamen call 'a holy terror.' For -ice brings fog, and fog is the real sea-devil, worse than any wind -that blows. It was a remarkable thing in such circumstances that -Captain Harry Sharpness Spink of Glo'ster preserved his equanimity. -As Ward, the mate of the _Swan of Avon_, said, he wasn't likely to -preserve the _Swan_. - -"Dry up, Ward," said his commanding officer, "be so good as to dry -up. When I require your advice to run the _Swan_ I'll let you know, -but in the meantime any uncalled-for jaw on that or any other subject -will make me very cross." - -"Do you think you can lick me since you went to see that swab at the -Foreign Office?" asked Ward, as he edged towards Spink. "Don't you -savvy, Spink, that I'm just as able as I was before to pick you up -and sling you off of this bridge on to the main-deck?" - -"That's as may be," said Spink, "and I don't deny by any means that -you are a truculent and insubordinate beast. That's why I shipped -you. But it don't follow by no means that because my unfortunate -disposition compels me to have officers that can lick me, that I -should let 'em navigate the _Swan_ on the high lonesome principle. -As I said before, you will be so good as to shut your head. Ice or -no ice, I'm going at my speed, not yours. Do you think you are out -yachting that I should look after your precious carcase?" - -"I believe you are ready to cast her away," said Ward. "Are the -bally owners going shares with you?" - -Spink shook his bullet head. - -"They ain't, and you know it, Ward. There are men would take such an -insinuation as an insult, and if I could lick you perhaps I would. -But you know as well as I do that if I wanted to cast her away I'd -not do it here. There's no kind of fun that I so despise as open -boats in cold weather, and the Western Ocean in ice-time isn't my -market for a regatta. I ain't called on to explain to a subordinate -my idea in running full speed through this fog and ice, but out of -more regard for your feelings than you ever show for mine I don't -mind revealing to you that I'm trusting to my luck." - -"Your luck!" - -"Yes, my luck," replied Spink with great firmness; "for luck I have -and no fatal error. I've been thinking of it a lot this trip, and -come to the conclusion that I've more solid luck than any man I know -intimate. To say nothing of my commanding a rust and putty kerosine -can like this old tramp at the age of thirty, when you, that can lick -me in a scrap, have to be my mate though you're older, didn't I come -out of that little affair at Aguilas with flying colours?" - -"You came out with a hole in the funnel that you had to pay for -yourself," said Ward. "I don't see where your luck came in." - -"Don't you see it might have been worse, you ass?" cried Spink -irritably. "But that's nothing. What I've been pondering over -chiefly is my very remarkable luck in never having been caught, for a -permanency, by any of the ladies that have been after me." - -"They haven't lost much," said Ward discourteously. "And I reckon -that you are mistook when you think you're that enticing that women -hankers to drag you in by the hair of your head and kiss you by -force." - -"I never said so," replied Spink; "but the fact remains that I'm not -married." - -"You're a selfish beast, Spink, and I sincerely hope you'll be -married before you're through," said Ward. - -"You are the most insolent mate I ever had," replied Spink, "and the -most unfeeling. Did you hear a fog-horn?" - -Though it was in the middle of the forenoon watch it was pretty -nearly as dark off the Banks as it would have been inside a dock -warehouse, for the fog was as thick as a blanket. The rail and the -decks were slimy with it, and the skipper and his mate were as wet as -if it had been raining. The fog came swirling in thick wreaths, and -sometimes half choked them. The wind from the north-east was light -but very cold, as if it blew off the face of an iceberg, as it -probably did. The _Swan_ had an air of thorough discomfort, and in -spite of it was steaming into the west at her best speed of nine -knots an hour. - -It is no wonder that Spink and Ward quarrelled; there was hardly a -soul on board who was not in a bad temper. Nothing disturbs seamen -as much as fog, and the fact that Spink refused to be disturbed by it -made it all the worse for the others. Ward was distinctly nervous, -and let the fog play on his nerves. He saw steamers ahead that had -no existence, and heard fog-horns that were nothing but the sound of -his own blood in his ears. - -"Yes, I do hear a fog-horn. It's on the starboard bow," he said -anxiously. - -"Not a bit of it, Ward, it's on the port bow. It's some darned old -wind-jammer. I'll give her a friendly hoot." - -He made the whistle give a melancholy wail, which was not answered by -the ship for which it was intended, but by a gigantic liner which -burst through the fog looking like high land, and booming at the rate -of at least twenty knots. She loomed over them in the obscurity, and -Ward gave an involuntary howl which fetched the _Swan's_ crowd out on -deck in time to see that there was no need to kick their boots off -and swim for it. They were also in time to answer the insulting -remarks of the liner's two officers on the bridge, as she scraped -past them with about the length of a handspike to spare. - -"You miserable, condemned tramp," said the liner as she swept by. - -"Oh, you man-drowning dogs," replied the crowd of the _Swan_. - -And everything else that was said never reached its mark. The liner -was swallowed up, and resumed her attempt to make a good passage in -spite of what she logged as 'hazy' weather. - -"What did I tell you about my luck?" asked Spink coolly, and Ward -very naturally had nothing to say till he got his breath. What he -said then could only have been said to a skipper who had so -unfortunate a disposition towards violence that he had to ship -officers who could lick him. - -"You are a wonder," said Ward, "and I wish you had been dead before I -saw you. Ain't you thinking of others' lives if you ain't of your -own?" - -"What's the use of arguing with a thick-head like you, Ward?" asked -Spink. "If that blamed express packet slowed down to our jog-trot -her skipper would feel as sick as if he had anchored, and he'd log it -'dead slow,' and the rotters that judge divorces and collisions would -call him the most praiseworthy swine that ever ran another ship down. -What's the logic of it? Why should I daunder along at five knots? I -might be lingering just where I'd be caught by such another or by a -berg. I trust in Providence and my luck, and if you don't like it -you can get out and walk." - -At this moment a bellow was heard for'ard, 'Ice on the starboard -bow,' and Spink, who for all his talk had the eyes of a cat, motioned -to the man at the wheel to starboard the helm a few spokes. The -_Swan_ ground past a small berg, and had a narrower shave than with -the liner. - -"If we'd been going a trifle slower, Ward," said the skipper, "I -might have plugged that lump plump in the middle, and you would have -been down on the main-deck seeing the boats put over the side." - -"There's no arguing with you," growled the mate, "you'd sicken a hog, -and I wish it was Day's watch instead of mine. If he has the same -temper when he wakes that he went below with, you'll have a dandy -time with him." - -He relapsed into a silence which Spink found more trying than open -insubordination, for Spink was a cheerful soul. - -"Here, I can't stand this, Ward----" - -"What can't you stand?" asked Ward sulkily. - -"Not being spoken to, of course," replied the skipper. "I order you -to be more cheerful. I don't ask you to be polite, for I know you -can't be; but you can talk when you aren't wanted to, so you just -talk now." - -"I won't unless you slow down," said Ward. "I don't see why I should -talk and be cheerful with a sea-lunatic." - -"Well," said Spink, "I'll slow her down to half speed to please you, -for the Lord knows there's enough ice about without my having a lump -of it for a mate. Ring her down to half speed, and be damned to you!" - -Ward rang her to half speed without any second order. - -"And I sincerely hope I shan't regret bein' weak enough to give way," -said Spink, "for I'm a deal too easy-going and reasonable." - -He lighted his pipe and smoked steadily. As both Ward and Day -admitted, he might be hard to get along with, but he had nerves which -would have done credit to a bull. Most skippers in the Western Ocean -get into the state of mind which sees disaster before it is in sight, -and if they don't take to drink it is because they die of continued -scares. Spink feared nothing under heaven, and though he sometimes -drank more than was good for him, it was not because he wanted it, -but because he liked it. There is a great distinction between these -two ways of drinking. After a few minutes of silence he turned to -Ward. - -"Do you feel easier in your mind, Ward?" - -"I do," said Ward. "I own it freely." - -Spink snorted. - -"As sure as ice is ice when you get a command of your own you'll take -to drink," said Spink. "And now, as you're satisfied at getting your -own way, I'll go below and have a snooze." - -About six bells in the forenoon watch the _Swan_ ran out of 'Bank -weather' into beautiful sunlight, and Ward rang her up to full speed. -All about them were icebergs small and large, which sparkled like -jewels in the sun. There was one long, low berg right ahead of them, -there was one to the south'ard which was peaked and scarped and -pinnacled into the semblance of a mediaeval castle. Ward, as Spink -said, had no soul for beauty unless it wore petticoats, and to him, -as to all seamen, ice in any shape was ugly. - -"If he'd had his way she'd have come a mucker on that beggar ahead," -said Ward, as he passed to windward of the big, table-topped berg. -"I wish we was out of it. This fine spell won't last long, and there -is more thick weather ahead of us or I'm a Dago." - -He gave her up to Day at noon with pleasure, and took his grub alone -as the skipper was fast asleep. When he turned out again at four -o'clock he found the fog as thick as ever, and Bill Day as cross as -he could stick at having to yank the whistle laniard every minute or -so. As soon as Ward showed his nose on the bridge Bill let out at -him. - -"What kind of a relief do you call this?" he demanded savagely. "I -wish I'd had this laniard round your neck, I'd have had you out of -your bunk in good time, I swear." - -As a matter of fact, Ward was only three minutes behind time, and -always prided himself on giving a good relief. - -"Has Double Glo'ster been worrying you that you're so sick?" he -asked. "You know damn well that you owe me hours. Oh, don't talk, -go below and die, as you always do when you see blankets. Has there -been much ice?" - -"It's blinking all round the bally shop," returned the second mate. -"Didn't you wake when I stopped her dead?" - -"No," said Ward. - -"And you talk of my dying when I get below," retorted Day. He slid -off the bridge, and proceeded to justify the mate's accusation by -falling asleep before his head touched the pillow, in spite of the -melancholy hootings of the _Swan_ as she picked her way delicately in -the fog and ice. It was very nearly eight bells again before Captain -Harry Sharpness Spink of Glo'ster showed on deck. As he meant to -stay on deck all night he had really been very moderate. - -"So I've missed Newcastle?" he said. - -"Lucky for you," returned Ward; "his temper was horrid." - -Spink sighed. - -"I'm the most unfortunate man that ever commanded any blasted hooker -that ever sailed the seas," he said. "Day tries me more than you do, -Ward. There are times I regret I ever knew him. I must have been -brought up badly to have such a disposition as I have. Well, well, -it can't be helped, a man is what he was meant to be, there is no -get-away from that. But I should admire to see you plug him. Oh, I -say, it's fairly thick, ain't it?" - -It was a deal thicker than much of the pea-soup served up in the -_Swan_, though Spink rather prided himself on the way the men were -fed in her. - -"Are you nervous?" asked Spink. - -"I ain't by any means happy," said Ward; "and no seaman worthy of the -name can be happy on the Banks in weather like this." - -"That's a slur on me, I know," said Spink, "but I look over it." - -"What would you do if you didn't?" asked Ward. - -Spink did not reply to this challenge, and inside of a minute both he -and Ward had something to think of besides quarrelling about nothing. -The fog lifted for a moment, and showed ice all about them. The air -grew bitterly cold, and was soon close on the freezing point, Spink -slowed her down again, and almost literally felt his way through the -obstacles. Once he touched a small berg, but when he did so he was -going dead slow. Ward stood by and saw the 'old man' handle the -_Swan_ with admiration. When they were once more through the thick -of it he spoke. - -"I wish I could understand you, Spink," he said, with far more -respect than he often showed. "You're the most reckless skipper I -ever sailed with, and now you're more careful than I should be." - -"I don't trust in my luck till I can't see," said Spink, and he -turned her over to Ward, saying, "Go your own pace, my son. It's -most agreeable when you are civil." - -And next minute the catastrophe happened, for at half speed the old -_Swan_ bunted her nose into a low but very solid berg, and the result -was very much the same as if she had tried conclusions head on with a -dock wall. She crumpled up like a bandbox when it is inadvertently -sat on, and it would have been obvious to the least instructed -observer that her chance of going much farther was a very small one -indeed. She trembled and was jarred to her vitals, her iron decks -lifted up like a carpet with the wind underneath it, one of the -funnel stays parted with a loud twang, and the crowd forward came out -on deck as if the devil was behind them. And the fog was still so -thick that it was impossible to see them from the bridge. But they -soon saw Bill Day, for even his ability to sleep through most things -could not stand being thrown out of his bunk. - -"What's up now?" roared the second mate. And the skipper showed at -his very best. - -"Ward would have her at half speed," said Spink coolly, "and that -gave the southerly drift time to bring that blasted berg just where -it could do its work." - -And poor Ward hadn't a word to say. Spink had plenty. He spoke to -the crew below. - -"Keep quiet there you," he snapped, without the least sign of a -disturbed mind. And up came the chief engineer, M'Pherson, in -pyjamas and a blue funk. - -"What's happened, captain? Oh, what's gone wrang the noo?" he cried. - -"She's hit more than a penn'orth of ice, Mr. M'Pherson," replied the -skipper, "and if I were you I'd get my clothes on. Tell me what -water she is making, and look slippy. Mr. Ward, see to the boats. -Mr. Day, take the steward and a couple of hands and get some stores -up on deck." - -He was so cool that he inspired unlimited confidence, although it was -now obvious to them all that the _Swan's_ very minutes were numbered. -It did not require old Mac's report that the water was coming on -board like a millstream to show them that. The engineers and firemen -came on deck, and Spink addressed them in what he considered suitable -and encouraging terms. - -"Now then, you stokehold scum, less jaw there, you won't get drowned -this trip." - -They were exceedingly glad to hear it, for a lot of them were of a -different opinion and said so. There was no time to waste, and -indeed none was lost. The real trouble began when it was found that -one boat wouldn't swim, after the manner and custom of boats in the -Mercantile Marine, and when another was staved in by a swinging lump -of ice the moment it took the water. This lump was a small 'calf' of -the larger berg which they had struck on, and the next moment the -original obstacle swung alongside and ground heavily against the -steamer. - -"There ain't enough boats," said the skipper. "Mr. Ward, d'ye think -you could hook on to that berg? We'll have to board it and make out -as best we can." - -As the _Swan_ was a vessel of close on fourteen hundred tons, her -kedge anchor ought to have weighed something like four and a half -hundredweight. As a matter of fact it had once belonged to something -in the shape of a tug, and it weighed barely two. Ward picked it up -as if it was a toy and hove it on the berg, and followed it with a -warp. - -"Bully for you," said the skipper, and as he spoke the _Swan_ gave -forth a noise very much like a hiccup. "Down on the ice the port -watch, and the others get the stores over the side. Steward, all the -blankets you can get. Mr. Day, put over the side anything to make a -raft of; we may want one if the berg melts." - -Spars and hencoops and everything that would float went over the -side, some of it on the ice and some of it into the water. A couple -of hands in the only sound boat kept her clear of the berg and the -_Swan_, and shoved the floating dunnage to those on the new vessel, -which had promptly been christened 'The Sailors' Home.' Their late -home was about to disappear, and said so in terms that were quite -unmistakable by the initiated. - -"Now then," said Spink, "when the rest of you are over the side I'm -ready. Ward, take the chronometer as I lower it down. And be -careful with this bag, there's the ship's papers and my sextant in -it." - -"Now boom her off," said Spink, "for the _Swan's_ going." - -There was a tremendous crack on board. - -"The fore bulkhead," said Spink, and then the poor old _Swan_ cocked -her stern in the air. A furious gush of steam came up from the -engine-room and all the stokehold ventilators, until the sea came -almost level with the after hatch. - -"She's going down head-foremost," said the crew, "poor old _Swan_." - -And then there was a mighty shivaree on board. The whole of the -cargo in No. 1 and No. 2 holds fetched away, and evidently shot right -out at the bows. All this mixture of cargo must have been followed -by the engines slipping from their beds, for instead of doing a dive -head-foremost, the _Swan's_ stern, which had been high in air, went -under with a big splash, and she lifted her ragged bows in the fog -before she went down with a long-drawn, melancholy gurgle. - -"She warn't such a bad old packet after all," said the sad crew. And -for at least a minute no one said another word. Then Ward spoke. - -"Where the hell's your luck now, Spink?" - -"What's become of your theory that half speed in a fog is any better -than going at it at my rate?" asked Spink. "You haven't a leg to -stand on, and I don't propose to take advice from you again. You've -disappointed me sadly! My luck is where it was, except in the matter -of my officers, and it's notorious that I have no luck with them. -We're out of the _Swan_ without a life lost, we've got heaps of grub, -plenty of blankets, and a fine comfortable iceberg under us. There's -many this hour in the Western Ocean that might envy us, and don't you -make any error about that. I come from Glo'ster, and my name is -Captain Harry Sharpness Spink, and drunk or sober it's as good as -havin' your life insured to sail with me. Oh, I'm all right, and I -propose to plug the first man that growls, if he's as big as the side -of a house." - -None of them was in trim to take up the challenge, and Spink lighted -his pipe. - -"Three cheers for the captain," said the crew; and they cheered him -heartily, for which he thanked them almost regally, though he -somewhat spoilt the effect of it afterwards by telling them to go to -hell out of that and pick a place to camp in at a little distance. - -"So far as I can see in this fog there's plenty of room for -everyone," said Spink, as the night grew dark. That was where he was -wrong, for they soon discovered, by falling into the water on the far -side, that they were on no great ice island, but had picked a very -small berg indeed. Spink consoled them by telling them that they -wouldn't be on it long, and they could hardly help believing him as -he seemed so certain of it. - -"And after all," he said to Day and Ward, "the old _Swan_ was insured -for more than she was worth, and I shouldn't be surprised if the -owners were pleased with the catastrophe." - -He wrapped himself in blankets and lay down. In five minutes he was -breathing like a child. - -"I tell you," said the second mate, "the 'old man' is a wonder, for -all we have to treat him like a kid. I say, Ward, let's be kind to -him to-morrow and say Glo'ster is just as good as any other county." - -"I don't mind," said Ward; "but if we do he'll take advantage of it." - -"Oh, let him," said Day. "He's a fair scorcher, and if he gets too -rowdy we can always put him down. On my soul I'm gettin' to like -him. He's got the pluck of a bull-dog. Where's old Mac?" - -They found Mac sitting in a puddle of melting ice-water, weeping -about his family at Glasgow. The second engineer, whose name was -Calder, was trying to console his chief by saying it might have been -worse. - -"It canna be waur, man," said old Mac. "What can be waur than bein' -wreckit, and on a wee sma' bit o' ice that's veesibly meltin' as I -sit on it? The cauld is strikin' through to my very banes, and in -the hurry I've had the sair misfortune to come away wi'out the -medicine for my rheumatics. To-morrow I'll be i' a knot wi' 'em, and -nothing for it but cauld water, which I couldna abide sin' I was a -bairn. And all my work on the engines wasted. I'm a mournful man -this hour." - -He drank something out of a bottle. As he had left his medicine -behind it could not have been that. It certainly did him no good, -for he wept all the more after taking it, and throwing himself in -Calder's arms he insisted that the second engineer was his mother, -and begged her not to insist on his having a cold bath. - -"He's a puir silly buddy," said Calder, "and I've no great opeenion -of him as an engineer, though he's no' the fool he seems the noo." - -And the night wore away while Mac wept and Spink slept the sleep of -the righteous, and Ward and Day smoked in silence. As for the crew, -they lay huddled up together, and only woke to swear at the new kind -of 'doss.' On the whole, everyone but the chief engineer was not -unhappy, and even he, by reason of the attention he paid to the -bottle which did not contain medicine, fell fast asleep and snored -like a very appropriate fog-horn. The dawn broke very early, at -about three, and it found most of the inhabitants of the berg still -unconscious. In the night the fog had lifted, and the sea was almost -as calm as a duck-pond. What wind there was now blew from the west, -and was much warmer than it had been. Within a mile there were two -or three other small bergs, but when Spink grunted and yawned and -crawled out of his blankets there was nothing else in sight. - -"Humph," said Spink, "this is a rummy go, and if I didn't come from -Glo'ster I should be in a blue funk. I must keep up my spirits, and -show 'em what my luck's like. I've been in worse fixes than this -many a time, and after all, with a good seaworthy berg underfoot, and -lashings of grub, I don't see why anyone should growl. If anyone -does I'll knock his head off. Now, which of these jokers is the -cook?" - -He found the steward, and booted him gently in the ribs. At least he -said it was gently, whatever the aggrieved steward thought of it. - -"Now then, Cox," said the skipper, "turn out and find me the -cook,--he's one of this pile of snorin' hogs,--and let's have some -breakfast." - -By the time the grub was ready, Ward and Day were 'on deck,' and the -sun was beginning to think of doing the same. The two mates looked -round the horizon and saw nothing to comfort them. The only cheerful -thing in sight was the skipper, and for very shame the more -pessimistic Ward screwed up a smile. - -"Not so bad, is it?" asked Spink. - -"It might be worse, I own," replied the mate. "What course are you -steerin', Spink?" - -"Straight for Glo'ster," replied Spink cheerfully. "How did you -chaps sleep?" - -Ward said he hadn't slept at all, but Day averred that he had dreamt -he had been locked in a refrigerator belonging to some cold-meat -steamer from Australia. And just then the steward said that -breakfast was ready. It consisted of cold tinned beef, iced biscuit, -and melted berg. There were signs of a mutiny among the crew at once. - -"Say, cook, where's the cawfy?" they asked, and they were only -reduced to a proper sense of the situation by a few strong remarks -from Captain Spink. The riot subsided before it really began, and -all the 'slop-built, greedy sons of corby crows,' as Spink called -them, sat down meekly and ate what they were given. And then the sun -came up and warmed them, and they soon began to feel well and happy. -But now the real trouble of the situation began to develop. The heat -of the summer sun when it once got high enough to do some work began -to melt the berg. It was rather higher in the middle than it was on -the edges, and it was most amazingly slippery. The water ran off it -in streams, and as it was barely big enough to start with, it looked -as if they would shortly be crowded. - -"I never thought of this," said Spink. "I tell you, Ward, she'll -turn turtle before we know where we are. We must put all the stores -in the boat, and have a man in her to keep her clear if the berg -capsizes." - -"Your luck ain't what you let on," said Ward gloomily; "the thing -fair melts under us, and we'll have to swim." - -"To thunder with your croaking," said Spink. "Oh, do dry up." - -"I wish the berg would," said Ward, as he superintended the shipment -of the stores. When it was done he put a cockney deck-hand into her -and made him shove off. - -"Blimy," said Lim'us, "I'm likely to be the on'y dry of the 'ole -shoot." - -The word 'shoot' soon threatened to become highly appropriate, for -about noon the berg was distinctly cranky. However fast it melted -above, it was obviously melting much faster down below, for they had -apparently struck a streak of comparatively warm water, and when ice -does go it goes fast. The 'crowd' got very uneasy, and Spink got -very cross as he arranged them so as to trim his craft. - -"Sit still, you swine," said Spink. "Do you want to capsize us?" - -"But we're so cold be'ind, sittin' still, sir," said one bolder than -the rest. - -"I'll warm you if I have to come over and speak to you," said Spink, -and he presently undertook to do it. The moment he rose to carry out -his threat the iceberg wobbled in the most dreadful manner, and so -encouraged the offender that he laughed. - -"If you come to 'it me, captain, she'll go over," he said with a -malicious grin. - -"So she will," said Ward, laying hold of the skipper to prevent his -moving. But Spink was not to be baulked. He spoke to another of the -men sitting near the mutineer. - -"Jackson, you come here while I go over there and dress Billings -down." - -"Don't you go, Jackson, for if you do I'll dress you down to a proper -tune arterwards," said the insubordinate Billings, as he grabbed hold -of Jackson, who looked at the skipper appealingly. - -"What am I to do, sir?" he asked. - -"You're to obey orders," said Spink. - -"Don't you forgit I'll plug you if you do," said Billings. - -Poor Jackson was obviously in serious difficulties, for Billings was -the boss and bully of the fo'c'sle. He could even lick any of the -firemen, and there were some very tough gentry among that gang. - -"If I don't come over to you, sir, what will you do?" Jackson asked -the skipper nervously. - -"I'll come over to you, if we're in the drink the next moment," -replied Spink firmly. "Don't any of you Johnnies think you can best -me. Are you coming or are you not?" - -Jackson shook his shock head. - -"This is very hard lines on a peaceable cove like me," said Jackson; -"but if I am to catch toko, I'd much rather take it from Billings -than from you, sir." - -And as he spoke, he smote Billings very violently on the nose. -Billings, who expected nothing less, let a horrid bellow out of him -and promptly slipped on the ice. He fell, and slid overboard with a -howl, and the berg came near to capsizing then and there. - -"Well done, Jackson," said Spink approvingly, as Billings disappeared -in the sea, "very well done indeed." And then Billings rose to the -surface. - -"Can you swim, Billings?" asked Spink with an air of kindly -curiosity. "Oh, yes, I see you can, so keep on doing it till you -feel a little less mutinous." - -It took Billings rather less than a minute to become obedient, for -though the sea was warm enough to melt the berg it was by no means so -warm as a swimming bath, and he presently howled for mercy and was -dragged upon the ice once more. - -It was lucky for Billings that the sun by now was really hot. He -stripped off his clothes and squeezed them as dry as he could, while -he threatened to kill Jackson as soon as he could. His threats were -interrupted by the sound of a large crack, and presently there were -obvious signs that the berg was about to capsize. Lim'us got quite -excited as they discussed the situation, and came in close, till Ward -ordered him to get farther away. As he rowed off reluctantly he -encouraged them by yelling, "She's goin' over! May the Lord look -sideways at me if she ain't." - -"Oh, oh!" said poor old Mac, "I'm a puir meeserable sinner wi' a sore -head and no medicine, and I'll be wet in a crack, and I'll die wi'out -a wee drappie. Oh, oh, oh!" - -And the berg stopped cracking but took on an ugly cant. A big lump -of ice broke off it down below and came up to the surface with a leap. - -"Steady, you swine," said Spink politely to his unhappy crew; and -Ward asked him where his luck was. Whatever answer he was to get he -never knew, for with a curious heave the berg started on a roll, and -with a suddenness which took them all with surprise she bucked them -into the Atlantic, together with what materials they had for a raft. -It was a lucky thing for at least half of them that there had been -time to save such dunnage from the _Swan_, for half the crowd, -including M'Pherson and Day, could not swim a stroke. Ward grabbed -Day and helped him to a spar, and Spink did the same for old Mac. -And in the meantime Lim'us made everyone furious by squealing with -laughter in the boat. Billings threatened him with death when he got -hold of him, and Spink had no mind or breath to rebuke the horrid and -bloodthirsty language with which the late mutineer reinforced his -threats. - -"Oh, oh!" squealed old Mac when the skipper laid hold of him; "oh, -oh, I'm drooned, I'm drooned! and I've the rheumatism bad in a' my -joints." - -And Spink said he was the howling and illegitimate descendant of -three generations without any character whatever, as he dragged him -to a floating oar alongside the capsized berg. Now it was not so -high out of water, and there was far more space on it. For some time -it would be comparatively stable, and when Spink scrambled on it the -first of anyone he congratulated himself on his never failing luck. -He helped the rest on board, and the whole space was soon occupied by -an unclad crowd wringing the Atlantic out of their clothes, and -trying to get warm in the sun. It was quite astonishing how cheerful -everyone was, with the single exception of that confirmed pessimist -the chief engineer. At their end of the berg the men took to -skylarking, and Billings actually forgave Jackson. - -"You done what I'd ha' done myself," said Billings, "for I owns now -I'd a'most as soon take on that big brute Ward as 'ave the skipper -get about me. But when I give 'im that back-talk I was that icy -be'ind that I was like froze Haustralian mutting, and as cross as if -my old woman 'ad been relatin' what 'er mother thought of me. I -furgives you, Jackson, I furgives you this once. But don't you hever -'it me on the smeller agin, or a penny peep-show won't be in it for -the sight you'll be." - -It was considered by the crowd that Billings by this act of nobility -had shown himself a 'gent,' and Billings swaggered greatly on the -strength of it. - -The crew, of course, did not think. They were not paid to do so. -All that was the officers' business. It hardly occurred to them that -the ice on which they stood wasn't likely to last for ever. In the -warmth of the sun they forgot the discomforts of the past night, and -did not think of the night to come. But Ward did, and he was still -very gloomy on the situation. - -"Just as she spilt us," said Ward, "I was askin' you your opinion of -your luck. What do you think of it now? Perhaps you'll use that -regal authority of a skipper to get us out of the hole you've got us -in." - -If ever any skipper had the right to be justly indignant, Spink -thought he was that man. - -"The hole I got you in! I like that, oh, I do like that. Who was -it, I ask, that pestered me to go half speed, and almost wept till I -said 'Have your own way, you cross-eyed swine'?" - -"You never addressed them words to me," said Ward truculently, "or -I'd have given you what for, and well you know it." - -Spink shook his head. - -"I ain't sayin' that I used them very words," he urged, "all I mean -is that that was what I meant when I let you have your own silly way, -which has landed me and Day, to say nothin' of the rest, on a -penn'orth of ice in mid-Atlantic, more or less." - -"Don't bring me into the argument," said Day. "You're a cunning sort -of a chap, Spink, but you needn't try to raise ructions between me -and Ward, for I won't have it. I know you, Spink." - -"I'm a very unfortunate man," said poor Spink, "for at this very -moment I'd give three months' pay to be able to lick the pair of you. -I did think after what the Chief Foreign Officer said of my authority -that I should be more civilly treated by my officers, even if I have -an unfortunate disposition which compels me to lick them if I can. I -shipped you two because I can't, but that ain't any reason for makin' -me miserable, or at anyrate more miserable than bein' in the position -of not bein' able to." - -"Oh, all right," said Day, "go ahead and moan. Nobody's stoppin' -you, is he? Let him alone, Ward. He's all right; and as for -fightin', I believe I could teach him to be too much for myself in a -month with the boxin' gloves." - -"I wish you would," said Spink. "Oh, Day, you've no notion how I -should enjoy pastin' you." - -He fell into contemplation of such a joy, and did not speak till Ward -clapped him on the back and said he was a very good sort after all. - -"And if it's any use to you, I own that my havin' gone half speed -that time may have put us here. But sayin' so much don't mean that I -now approve of buttin' headlong into an ice-pack at twenty knots an -hour. But to go back to what I was sayin' before you started this -row, where's your luck, Spink? To my mind it don't look so healthy a -breed of luck as you let on, and it's my notion that old Mac is of my -opinion, to judge by the sad expression of his countenance." - -"To blazes with the old fool!" said Spink. "Who cares what he -thinks? My luck is where it was, and I reckon to get out of this -with flyin' colours, and never a man short, and nothin' against the -certificates of any of us. I've noticed all my life that I seem to -be under the especial care of Providence, and I don't believe -Providence will go back on me after plantin' me here all safe and -sound on an iceberg. Day, rake up that cook, and give the cockney in -the boat a hail. We'll have some grub. I've a twist on me like a -machine-made hawser." - -They went to dinner, and the sun did something of the same sort. At -anyrate it went out of sight, and a thick fog came down on the -castaways. - -"We 'opes no bloomin' packet 'll come and run us pore blighters -down," said the men as they fell to work on the grub, "for accordin' -to the 'old man,' who is the cheerfulest bloke in difficulties we -ever struck, we're right in the track of the ole shoot of 'em, and -may be picked up or scooted into the sea again any minute." - -As a matter of fact, they were then on the southern tail of the Bank, -for when the _Swan_ bunted her nose into the berg, she was pretty -well at the locality on the Grand Bank where the usual 'lane' to New -York is left for the lane to Halifax. The very watch before the -collision they had verified their position by flying the 'blue -pigeon,' as seamen call the deep-sea lead, and ever since then they -had been floating in the Labrador current to the south and east. To -locate them exactly, they were just about where the Great Circle -Track of steamers from the English Channel to the Gulf of Mexico -crosses the tail of the Bank. There was every chance of something -coming along there, even if it was getting late enough in the season -for the big liners to take the route to the south'ard for fear of the -very ice which had brought them to grief. - -"Oh, yes," said the crowd, when they were full up with food, "we're -all right." - -Nevertheless the fog did not cheer them up to any great extent, and -when it showed signs of lasting all day they grew less happy. - -"A hundred vessels might pass us in this," said Ward, who for all his -bigness had much less endurance than the skipper, and was now hardly -more cheerful than old Mac. "I wish I was out of it." - -"Oh, wish again," retorted Spink contemptuously. "Do you know, Ward, -that you make me tired? What do you get by howlin' and growlin'? I -know this is goin' to come out all right, and I won't be discouraged -by any silly jaw of a man that ought to know better. Shut up." - -And to Day's surprise Ward shut up. At that very moment there came a -bellow from Billings, who had relieved Lim'us in the boat. - -"Berg, ahoy!" roared Billings. - -"Hallo!" replied the skipper. "What's the matter now?" - -"I 'ears a steamer, so help me Dick!" bellowed Billings joyfully. "I -'ears 'er plain. Don't none of you blokes 'ear 'er too?" - -There was such a buzz among the crowd that it would have been hard to -hear a fog-horn, and it was not until Spink had hit three, kicked -half a dozen, and used at least ten pounds worth of bad language, -according to 19 Geo. II. cap. 21, that anything like silence was -restored. Then it was obvious that Billings had made no mistake. -The sea was fairly calm, the breeze from the west was light, and any -sound carried long and far. - -"She's coming from the westward," said Spink, as he consulted a toy -compass on his watch-chain. - -"No," said Day, "she's bound west, or I'm a Dutchman." - -"Then you come from Amsterdam for a certainty," said the 'old man' -crossly. "Now, men, shout all together when I say three. One, two, -three." - -And just as the men yelled there was a hoot-too-oot from the -steamship, which for a moment made them believe she had heard them. -But Spink knew better, and when there was another hoot he grabbed Day -by the arm. - -"By Jemima," said Spink, "we're both right, Day. There are two of -'em; that second squeal never came out of the same whistle that the -first one did!" - -Now the nature of fog is something that no fellow can understand. -Seamen must not think they are a long way off if they hear a sound -faintly, or even if they do not hear it at all. That's bad enough, -but there is worse behind. They are not to reckon they are near -because they hear it plainly, or that it isn't to be heard farther -away at some other spot if they cease to hear it at all. And, -furthermore, any notion that a sound comes from any particular -direction is the biggest trap of the lot. Now the uninitiated can -understand that they do not understand, and that seamen are in the -same awkward fix whenever a fog comes down to cheer them on their -weary way. The two steamers coming out of nothingness and butting -into it were commanded by men who trusted to the evidence of their -senses, as if they were police magistrates trusting to policemen. -They hooted and bellowed in the most wonderful manner, and said with -one short blast that they were directing their course to starboard. -And as neither knew where the other was, or where he was himself, -they directed their courses with the most marvellous precision to the -exact spot on the tail of the Grand Bank in the Western Ocean where -they could collide. And they did so with a most horrid grinding -crash, and with one long, last, fearful and hopeless wail on their -steam-whistles. - -"Holy sailor," said the iceberg's crew, "this time they've been and -gone and done it!" - -Ward asked Spink sickly if he had any remarks to make about his luck. -Spink hadn't, but he had some remarks to make about Ward, which in -other circumstances would have led to war. While he was relieving -his overcharged mind there was a horrid uproar coming out of the fog, -for both the steamships were blowing off steam, and everyone on board -of them appeared to be running the entire show at the top of his -voice. And just as it was all at its extreme point of interest the -fog played one of its commonest tricks, and with an anacoustic wall -shut off the whole dreadful play in one single moment. - -The castaways turned to each other in alarm, and Billings, who had -nearly lost himself in the fog, rowed in close. - -"I think they've both foundered," said Billings, and it certainly -looked as if he were right, in spite of what Spink said to him. - -"I believe the josser is right," said Day; and old Mac wept and said -he was sure of it, and that he had the rheumatics badly, and that he -was very cold. And to add to Spink's joy, once more Ward asked if he -still thought he was under the especial protection of Providence. -Then for the first time Spink lost his temper and went for Ward, and -by dint of taking him by surprise served him as Jackson had served -Billings. - -"Take that, you swab," said the enraged skipper. "I'll teach you to -be so discouraging and so blasphemous as to cast a slur on -Providence." - -And when Ward climbed upon the ice again all he said was-- - -"All right, Spink, you wait till we're on board that beastly packet -you and Providence have up your sleeves." - -And everyone sat down and smoked, and said how grieved they were for -the poor unfortunate beggars who had been drowned through having no -nice comfortable iceberg to take refuge on. Then they had their -supper and went to sleep, leaving all their cares in the faithful -hands of poor Spink. - -"Ah," he sighed, "my unfortunate disposition cuts me off from all -real sympathy. I've no one to confide in at sea or ashore, and as if -bein' a ship-master wasn't solitary enough I must plug Ward and make -him hostile. I wish I'd been brought up better and licked more -before I got into this fatal habit of fighting." - -He couldn't go to sleep, and took to walking as far as the narrow -limits at his disposal would allow him. When he found that he was in -for a restless night he told the man on the lookout that he could -turn in. Jackson, who happened to be the look-out, lingered a little -before he did as he was told. - -"Do you think, sir," he asked with some trepidation at his daring to -speak to the skipper, "do you think, sir, that we shall ever get out -o' this?" - -"Of course we shall," said Spink. "What do you suppose I'm here for? -Go to sleep, Jackson, and mind your own business. You'll be all -right." - -And Jackson, who was a simple-minded seaman of the real old sort, -fell asleep feeling that the 'old man' was to be relied on even on an -iceberg in the Western Ocean and in a fog as thick as number one -canvas. - -For by now the fog was thick and no mistake. As Spink walked the -ice, and squelched with his sea-boots in the melted puddles, he could -hardly see his hand before his face, and more than once he nearly -walked overboard. At midnight it was even thicker, and he was -obliged to give up walking and come to an anchor on a tin of corned -beef, and though he was on watch it has to be owned that he dozed for -a few minutes, just as Lim'us did in the boat which lay a little way -off the berg. When Spink woke he found it just about as dark as -their prospects. When his eyes cleared, he sighed and looked about -him, with a mind which took some of its tone from the fog and from -the dull dead hour of two o'clock in the morning. - -"I wonder if my luck is out," he sighed, and he stared solidly into -the solidest darkness. It was certainly monstrously dark in one -direction. He rubbed his eyes and grunted. Then he lighted a match -and looked at his little compass. His mind went back to the lady in -Bristol who had given it to him. - -"She was a very pretty piece," said Spink thoughtfully. "But I'm -damned if I can see why it should be darkest towards the east." - -He rose up and peered into the fog. Again he rubbed his eyes, and -then stood staring. - -"Perhaps another berg," he said, "but----" - -He stood as still as if his figure had been turned into stone, and -presently he looked to the sleeping crowd, who were all as solid with -sleep as if they were dead, and nodded in the strangest way. - -"Oh, oh, if it is; if it only isn't a horrid delusion," he murmured. -He turned to the darkness again and shook his fist at it and the fog. -At that very moment the fog rolled up like a curtain. Right in front -of Spink, and not farther than a man could chuck a biscuit, there lay -the strange and almost monstrous apparition of a silent, lightless, -and derelict steamer! - -"What did I say to Ward about Providence?" asked Spink of the whole -Atlantic Ocean. "Ward cast a nasty and uncalled-for slur on its ways -when he said what he did. But now I've got the bulge on him, and no -fatal error about it." - -He rubbed his hands together and smiled very happily. - -"There'll be fine pickings in this and no mistake," he murmured. -"Oh, this'll be something like salvage. And I'll lay dollars to -cents that I can tell how it ever happened. Ah, here comes the fog -again!" - -The fog dropped down in a thin veil, till the dim and ghostly -derelict looked still less substantial than it had done. Then it -heaved and rolled in, and the deserted packet could be seen no more. -Spink sighed but was happy. - -"I'll give Ward the biggest surprise he ever had in his life," he -said, as he turned to the boat in which young Lim'us was doing a very -solid caulk. Spink kicked some ice into small lumps, and at the -third attempt he hit the sleeper on the side of his head. Lim'us -woke with a start, and heard the captain's voice just in time to -prevent him threatening to eviscerate the swab who was slinging -things at him. - -"Hold your infernal jaw," said Spink in a savage whisper, "and pull -in here quiet, or I'll murder you." - -Lim'us obeyed instantly, though he had doubts as to whether it was -wise to come within arm's length of the skipper after having been -caught asleep. - -"I warn't asleep, sir; stri'my blind if I was," he began as he came -up to the berg. - -"Dry up and say nothin'," said Spink. "If you wake anyone I'll see -you don't sleep again for a week. Hand up some of that truck and get -the stern sheets clear, I want to get in myself." - -There was more than a chance of not finding the derelict and of -losing the iceberg, and Spink knew it. Just as he was about to -chance it he remembered that he had a couple of balls of strong twine -in the bag into which he had dumped all his belongings, including the -precious ship's papers, when he left the _Swan_. As he recalled this -lucky fact a heavenly smile overspread his handsome features. - -"It's a splendid notion," said Spink. "I feel as proud of it as a -dog with two tails! I wish those chaps at the Foreign Office were -here now; they would enjoy it better than a play." - -He stepped to his bag as lightly as a Polar bear after a sleeping -seal, and when he found the twine he tied the end of it to Ward's leg. - -"Ward at one end and Providence at the other," said Spink with a -grin. "Oh, won't he be surprised!" - -And the skipper went back to the boat, paying out the twine as he -went. He was chuckling in the merriest way, and poor Lim'us, who was -cold, and very sick of the whole affair, thought that the strain had -been too much for him. - -"'E's balmy on the crumpet, that's what's the matter wiv 'im," said -Lim'us as he obeyed orders reluctantly, and pulled into the solid fog -with a mad and grinning skipper, who would probably scupper him as -soon as they were out of earshot of the crew. - -"I wish I was in Lim'us," said he. "I'd give all my wyges to see -Commercial Rowd agin." - -And still Spink chuckled and paid out the twine, until suddenly the -boat ran into a still deeper darkness. - -"Easy, boy," said the skipper, with a strange note of exultation in -his voice. "Easy, we're there now." - -As he spoke the boat ground up against the side of the derelict, and -Lim'us turned about on the thwart and touched the iron plates with -his hand. - -"If you let a yell out of you," said the captain, "I'll cut your -throat from ear to ear." - -But indeed Lim'us was incapable of yelling. All he could do was to -gasp, and he did that as effectively as if he was a bonito with the -grains in him. And the boat drifted towards the vessel's bows, while -Spink looked for the easiest way on board. - -"They ran like rats," said Spink. "Oh, I know the way they ran. -They got on board the other boat, and think this one is now -surprisin' the codfish." - -They reached the bows at last, and came round on the port side, and -there Spink found what he looked for. The vessel had been cut down -to within six inches of the water's edge about forty feet aft from -the bow. - -"Just as I laid it out in my mind," said Spink. "Catch hold you, -while I get on board." - -He dropped about ten fathoms of the twine into the water, and with -the rest of the ball in his pocket he scrambled up the horrid gash in -the derelict's side and got on deck. He walked for'ard and got the -twine clear out on the starboard side, pointing for the unconscious -mate. Then he made it fast and took a look at his new command. In -spite of the fog it was not difficult to see that she was a fine new -boat of about two thousand tons, built and fitted, as was pretty -obvious from her derricks, for a fast freight boat. It was equally -obvious that the whole crew had evacuated her in a panic, for Spink -found the skipper's berth with the bed-clothes on the floor, along -with a sad and derelict pair of trousers. The 'old man' had -evidently been in his bunk instead of being on the bridge, and, so -far as Spink could see, he had stayed to grab nothing but the ship's -papers, without which there can be no maritime salvation. - -"This will be a very valuable salvage job," said Spink, as he licked -his lips after taking a pull at a bottle of whisky which he found -only too handy to the lips of the former skipper. "There's money in -this, oh, lots of it. And now I'll show Ward where my luck comes in. -And I'll have old Mac and Calder patch up that rent in her before it -comes on to blow again." - -He put the bottle in his pocket and went for'ard, feeling a deal more -proud than if he owned a fleet. For the deserted steamer, the name -of which was the _Winchelsea_ of Liverpool, was a direct proof that -his luck was still what it had been. He found the end of the twine, -and hauled in the slack very cautiously. - -"I wish I could see his face," said Spink, as he gave the twine a -yank which made Ward sit up suddenly and wonder what had happened to -him. - -"Oh, oh, oh!" said Ward. The ice was nearer than it had been, and -what he said was quite audible on board the _Winchelsea_. - -"Eh, what?" said Ward. And then Spink gave the line another yank -which almost started Ward on an ice run for the water. But this time -he found out what was the matter, and laid hold of the twine. - -"Who the devil's pulling my leg?" he roared in such stentorian tones -that the whole crowd woke up instantly. - -"I am," said Spink. "And I'll thank you to pay attention, and not -lie there snoring while I do all the work." - -"Where are you?" asked Ward. "I can't see you." - -"Where d'ye think I am?" asked Spink. "While you were asleep I went -out and looked for a new job and found it." - -As he spoke there were sudden signs of dawn, and once more the -curtain of the mist rolled away, and the late crew of the _Swan_ saw -a big steamer within fifty feet of them, with the late skipper of the -_Swan_ leaning over her side smoking his morning pipe. - -"Jerusalem!" said the crew, and they shook their heads with -amazement, while Ward scratched his. Day whistled, old Mac burst -into joyful tears, and Billings used some awful language to show his -gratitude. And Spink said-- - -"When you have washed and shaved and put on clean collars, I should -be much obliged by your coming on board and doing enough work to melt -the hoar-frost that's on you. Limehouse, scull over to the berg, and -look slippy about it." - -In ten minutes they all found themselves on board, and Mac and Calder -set to work before breakfast to patch her up. The engines and -furnaces were still warm, and it took little time to get up steam. -But Ward took some to get up his. As he said, it was a fair -knock-out, and it seemed like some black magic on the part of the -skipper, who walked the bridge after breakfast as if he owned the -whole North Atlantic. - -"She was bound for England, and we'll go home," said Spink. "And as -soon as may be we'll find out what's in her. This is my first -salvage, and it's goin' to be a good one." - -"You're a wonder," said Ward. - -"Didn't I always say so?" replied Spink modestly. "And now I hope -that you and Day will behave yourselves, and not trade on any -weaknesses that I may have, for I won't put up with it if you do." - -"How do you propose to stop it?" asked Day. "You can't plug me or -Ward any better now than you could before. Why don't you behave? -Then there would be no trouble. I'm fair sick of hearin' about your -unfortunate disposition." - -"So am I," said Ward. - -Spink shook his head with disgust. - -"And this kind of talk after what I've done," he said. "I wish you -would read old Kelly's little book on the Mate and His Duties, Ward. -It would teach you how to behave." - -"I had it in the _Swan_," said Ward, "but though it had a lot in it -about land-saints and sea-devils, there was nothin' in it that fitted -a man like you." - -"Perhaps not," said Spink thoughtfully. "I own I'm rare, I'm very -rare." - -The fog cleared right off, and the sun shone and the calm sea -sparkled. In such circumstances everyone ought to have been happy, -but Spink said he wasn't. - -"I wish I wasn't so rare," said Spink. - - - - - THE REMARKABLE CONVERSION OF - THE REV. THOMAS RUDDLE - -The passengers on board the s.s. _Nantucket_, bound from New York to -Table Bay, were of a kind to make any old-fashioned seaman shake his -head and talk dismally of Davy Jones. They were nearly all ministers -and missionaries, and it is well known to all who follow the sea that -gentlemen of that kind are unlucky to have on board. For Davy Jones -is the very devil, and if he gets a chance to drown a minister he -does it at once, so that he may do no more good. There can be no -mistake about this, for every sailorman of great experience will -endorse the theory with strange oaths. What all sailors say must be -true, for they know their business. - -One of these missionaries was the Reverend Mr. Ruddle, and he was the -chief of all the others, who were going to South Africa to do it -good. There were six of them all told. Thomas Ruddle had his wife -with him, for he could not exist without her; and she, for her part, -thought him a marvellous man and a darling. He had a beautiful -smile, and a big black beard, and a voice like the bellow of an -amiable bull. But Mrs. Ruddle was blue-eyed, with the complexion of -a Californian peach and a voice like a flute. She would have -followed him to Davy Jones' locker itself if he had asked her, and -though he did not think of doing anything so unorthodox, they were -not far from having to go there without the consent of anyone. For -when the _Nantucket_ was within two hundred miles of Capetown it came -on to blow from the south-east as if the very devil was at the -bellows, and after the old packet had proved that she hadn't -sufficient power to make headway against the gale, she promptly -cracked her shaft, and went drifting away to loo'ard like a Dutch -schuyt on a lee tide. - -"It is a very sad misfortune, and I do not know now when we shall be -in Africa," said Tom Ruddle. "I regret to say, my dear, that the -captain is on the main-deck using very bad language to the chief -engineer, who is replying to him in a way that I cannot approve. -Indeed, I think he swears worse than Captain Stokes, if it is -possible, which I doubt." - -The other gentlemen in black mostly kept to their cabins, but Ruddle -went about in the most astonishing way. If the _Nantucket_ stood on -her head Ruddle never lost his feet, and when she stood on her tail -he was quite at his ease. When she indulged in a wild compound -wallow in those delightful cross pyramidal seas which are the -peculiar attribute of the South Atlantic in the neighbourhood of the -Cape, all that Tom Ruddle said was 'Dear me.' He even said it when -Captain Stokes did a flying scoot on the main-deck, and brought up -against the rail with a crash that almost unshipped his teeth. What -Stokes said was not 'Dear me.' And the old _Nantucket_ went drifting -west-nor'-west on the branch of the current, coming round the Cape, -which runs far to the north of Tristan d'Acunha, as if she had put -Africa out of her mind. Down below the engineers were trying very -hard to fake up something to brace round the shaft, so that they -could at least turn the engines ahead when the weather let up a -little. It seemed a hopeless job, and to none so hopeless as to the -engine-room crowd. And just as perseverance with the impossible -seemed about to be rewarded, the _Nantucket_ gave a wallow in an -awful sea, and quietly dropped her propeller as a scared lizard drops -its tail. Then very naturally the wind took off, and the sea went -down and smoothed itself out, and looked quite pretty to those who -had been watching the grey waste in despair. - -"We're done," said the skipper. For the idea of sailing her into -Table Bay was as feasible as sailing her to the moon. The wind, -although it had fallen light, was still in the east, and it -threatened to stay so till it blew another gale, after the fashion of -Cape weather, where fifty per cent. of all winds that blow are gales. - -"It is exceedingly unfortunate," said Ruddle. - -"What will happen to us?" asked his fellows in deep melancholy. - -"Something must," said their brave leader, and sure enough it did. A -sailing ship hove in sight to loo'ard. The skipper, as soon as he -heard of the stranger, made up his mind what to do. He hoisted the -signal 'In distress--want assistance,' and presently the sailing ship -came up under her lee within hailing distance, and backed her -main-topsail. - -"Are you bound for Table Bay?" asked Captain Stokes, and the obliging -stranger said he was. In ten minutes it was all arranged, and the -_Nantucket's_ passengers were being transhipped to the _Ocean Wave_ -of a thousand tons register, belonging to London. Stokes went on -board with the last boat, and shook hands with the master of the -_Ocean Wave_. - -"When you get in send a tug out to find us," said Stokes; "it's goin' -to blow heavy in a while." - -"I'll do it," said Captain Gray; "but are you sure that you won't -come along?" - -"I'd go under first," said Stokes; "I'll stick by her till I'm as old -as the Flying Dutchman, and my beard is down to my knees." - -It was very rash to say such things in the very cruising ground of -Vanderdecken, and some of the crew of the _Wave_ that heard it -shivered. But Stokes was a hard case, and believed in nothing. He -said good-bye to his passengers and went on board the _Nantucket_. -The _Ocean Wave_ boarded her maintack and stood on her course with -her new crowd of passengers, who were very much delighted to be on -board something that did not go to leeward like a butter-cask. - -"How strange to be on board a sailing ship," said Ruddle, as he stood -on the poop with the skipper, who was a genial old chap with a white -beard, and a figure as square as a four-hundred gallon tank. - -"Why strange, Mr. Ruddle?" asked Captain Gray. "Barring your rig-out -you look a deal more like a seaman than a parson, at least you do to -my eye." - -"Your eye is right, captain," said Ruddle with a sigh. "But it is a -very remarkable thing that though I have been a sailor I know nothing -about the sea that I have not picked up on board the unlucky steamer -we have just left." - -"That's a very strange thing to say, sir," said the skipper, as he -eyed Ruddle from head to foot. "May I ask how you make that out? -Once a seaman always a seaman, I should say. I can't imagine my -forgetting anything. I never could." - -"It's a very strange story," said Ruddle; "and if there wasn't -evidence for it I shouldn't believe it myself. But in my pocket-book -below I have my old discharges as mate, and yet at the present moment -there is no one on board who knows less about the sea than I do, -though I hold a master's certificate." - -"Spin us the yarn," said the skipper, and Ruddle told him the strange -tale. - -"I am informed," said the minister, "that I was, at the time I am -about to mention, mate in a ship belonging to Dundee. I say I am -told, because I have not the least recollection of it. To put it -shortly, I may tell you that I had an accident, and when I became -sensible again I was in hospital in Liverpool." - -"But what was your accident?" asked Captain Gray. - -"Something that I am told you call a shearpole came down from aloft -and struck me on the head, and I knew no more," said Ruddle, who was -evidently a very poor hand at a yarn. - -"Well, well, go on," said the skipper. "What happened then?" - -"How do I know?" asked Ruddle in his turn. "I was knocked silly -while the crew were taking in sail in a very great storm to the south -of Ireland, and they say I was very angry with the poor fellows up -aloft and was using dreadful language to them. I was struck down, -and when I came to myself I was not myself at all but another,--if I -do not sadly confuse you by putting it that way,--and I had forgotten -all that had happened since I went to sea, and I did not want to go -again. I became a minister instead and a missionary." - -"Well, I'm jiggered," said Gray, "but that's a corker of a yarn. -Were you married when you were a seaman?" - -"No," replied Ruddle; "I met my wife soon after I became my second -and present self, and my remarkable story so interested her that we -got married. It is interesting, isn't it?" - -"And do you mean to say that you remember nothing whatever of the -sea? Could you go aloft, for instance?" - -Mr. Ruddle looked up aloft and shivered. - -"Oh, I couldn't," he said. "The very look of the complicated -apparatus with which I must have been once only too familiar fills me -with peculiar horror." - -"Well, I'm damned," said Gray. "What's the opposite point of the -compass to sou'-east-by-sou'-half sou'-southerly?" - -"I give it up. Tell me," said the minister simply. - -Gray shook his head. - -"You surprise me, sir. Can you tell when there is a mighty strong -likelihoods of bad weather comin' along?" - -"I'm not at all bad at guessing when it's likely to rain," said the -former mate modestly. "I'm never caught in a shower without my -umbrella." - -And Gray shook his head again, and confided to the sea and air that -Ruddle was a red wonder. - -"If you don't know more about weather than that, you are going to -have a fine chance to learn, Mr. Ruddle," said the skipper. "I smell -a howling gale or I'm a double-distilled Dutchman. If it don't come -out of nor'-east like a rampin', ragin', snortin' devil, call me no -sailor, but the reddest kind of sojer." - -There were many signs of it, and the fall of the glass was only one. -The swell that had been coming in from the south-east now began to -come more from the north, and the whole of the horizon was in a kind -of smoke. The wind, which had fallen so light, now began to puff a -little, and though it was no more than a breeze that any man's -t'gallan's'ls could look at comfortably, there were odd sighs in the -wind, sighs which had a rising tendency to become wails. Before long -they would be wailings and no mistake, for these sounds are the real -voice of a hurricane, and foretell it. The skipper looked up to -windward and spoke to his mate. - -"Mr. Dixon, I think we had better snug her down a bit before it gets -dark, so clew up the t'gallan's'ls, and then we'll take the mainsail -off her. And after that you can reef the foresail. While the breeze -holds in the nor'-east we'll make all we can. But I reckon we'll be -hove to by the morning." - -There wasn't much doubt of that to those who knew something of Cape -weather. The Cape pigeons as they wheeled and whistled about the -_Ocean Wave_ said 'clew up and clew down.' At anyrate, the crew -for'ard said so as they turned out to shorten sail. Mr. Ruddle went -below to encourage his companions and his wife. By the time it was -as dark as the bottom of a tar-barrel they wanted encouragement, for -the _Wave_ began to pitch in a manner that the _Nantucket_ had not -accustomed them to, and as the wind increased the song of the gale in -the rigging got on their nerves sadly. - -"What do you think of it, Brother Ruddle?" asked his friend Chadwick, -a little butter-tub of a man with the courage of a lion among the -heathen or the denizens of a New York slum, but without as much -spirit when the wind blew as would enable a school-girl to face a cow -in a lane. "What does Brother Ruddle think of it?" - -Ruddle said that he did not think much of it, for he thought the -skipper was not frightened. - -"Although the sea threatens to rage, my friends," said the chief, "he -shows no signs of unseemly terror, but with calm confidence bids his -brave crew haste up aloft and reduce the mighty spread of canvas. -They are even now engaged in the task. Hear with what strange music, -which somehow begins to have a familiar ring in my ears, they -encourage each other in their arduous duties. Oh, my friends, we -little think when we are safe in the heart of Africa, or in the back -parts of the Bowery, how seamen encounter dangers on our behalf." - -"Ah, and you were a sailor once, Tom," said his wife. - -"I do not praise myself, dear, in praising them, for now I dare not -face those dangers with which at one time I must have been familiar. -It is wonderful, all life is wonderful. If I had not been smitten -upon the head by a shearpole, whatever a shearpole may be, I might -never have known any of you, my dear friends; and I might never have -married you, my dear. Ah, it is a wonderful world, and they are -making a very remarkable noise upstairs." - -They certainly were making a noise, and so was the wind, and Mr. -Dixon was saying very unorthodox things, and so was Smith the second -mate. And every now and again the skipper could be heard in -exhortation, so that Susan Ruddle snugged up alongside her husband, -and said that she was glad he was not a seaman, though that she was -sure that if he were one now he would never employ such language. -Ruddle comforted her, and said it would fill him with horror to know -that he had ever used any of that kind of talk. He felt sure in his -mind that the report of his having ever done so must have been a -malicious invention of some enemy. Since he had borne up for the -Church he had been, as all men knew, of a scrupulousness which was -extra Puritanical even for a minister. He never said 'damn' unless -he had to in the course of his duty. - -Presently the _Ocean Wave_ began to behave herself a little better -under shortened canvas, and the old skipper came into the cabin with -his face shining with spray, and a good-natured grin on him which -would have encouraged the biggest coward at sea in a cyclone. Little -Mrs. Ruddle cheered up on sight of him, and so did all but the -Reverend Mr. Blithers, who was in a state of terror that was sheer -lunacy. - -"Is it a great storm? Are we going down?" asked Blithers. He was so -far encouraged that he could speak. - -"Bless my heart," replied the skipper, "what are you thinking of, in -a nice breeze like this, and in a sailin' ship too? If you was in an -old smokestack like the one I took you gents out of you might howl, -but here you are in a fine tight ship, the real genuine article, and -are a deal safer than if you was ashore." - -"Oh, do you say so?" asked Blithers. "Oh, is it possible that you -can say so with the wind howling like this?" - -And indeed the gale began to pipe as if it meant business. - -"Hold your tongue, Blithers," said Ruddle; "be a man and a -missionary, and do not howl." - -Blithers said his brother was unkind, and ought to be more gentle -with a weak vessel. And at that the skipper put in his oar, and -suggested that so weak a vessel should not carry sail but retire to -his cabin. At this Ruddle laughed jovially, and Blithers said he was -hard and cruel, and devoid of all real religious feelings. - -"Don't be a fool, my dear man," said Ruddle, "but go to bed. It is -perhaps natural to be upset by the strange uproar, and the noise of -the wind, and the trampling of the men on deck, but that is no reason -why you should say I am not religious. If I were not I should be -angry with you and say regrettable things, such as I am informed, on -very good authority, that I said when I was a seaman." - -"I don't believe you ever were one," said the sad and angry Blithers. -"And if you were, it is a pity you did not stay one, for you are a -very unkind man, and not good to me in my sad state of mind." - -It took five missionaries to get Blithers into bed, but he went at -last, and when he was gone Ruddle beamed on the rest, and said-- - -"Our poor brother is sadly upset by the weather. It is difficult to -understand how he can be such a coward on the water when he is a real -hero on the dry land, and has an especial gift of management with -backsliding cannibals. But anything can be believed when you -remember that I was once in the position of Mr. Dixon, whose voice I -now hear saying something about the lee-braces, and knew all about -everything on board a ship. And now, my friends, all things here are -mystery to me, and I do not know what the lee-braces are, and cannot -distinguish with accuracy between a binnacle and a bull-whanger, if -indeed there is such a thing as I was told by one of the seamen on -the _Nantucket_. Ah, hold tight, dear, she is rocking to and fro -with ever increasing velocity. I fear that Blithers will never -forget this night." - -And they all had supper. The 'old man' sat it out with them, and put -on his oilskins again and went on the poop. There was no mistake -about it now. The _Ocean Wave_ was in for a Cape stinger, and Gray, -who was of the old-fashioned, bull-headed sort, rammed her along on -the very path the cyclonic disturbance was taking. If he had been -thoroughly acquainted with the nature of all cyclones wherever they -are bred, he would have turned tail to the blast, and have run into -fairer weather towards the south; or, as the _Wave_ was in the -southern semi-circle of the storm, he might have hove her to on the -coming up or starboard tack. Instead of that he hung on all through -the night. When the dawn came it was a fair howler and no mistake. -Mr. Blithers and not a few of the others stayed in their bunks. It -was blowing hard enough to make almost anyone ill, and the sea was -very high. But Thomas Ruddle and his wife and Chadwick turned out to -breakfast. - -If Ruddle trusted to Providence, Susan Ruddle trusted to him, and -hardly thought it possible that any disaster could happen to her -while he was to the fore. Mr. Chadwick was brave enough to hide his -terror, though he was in a horrid funk. They hung on to the tables -and ate some breakfast as best they could, and after eating, Ruddle -and Mrs. Ruddle and Chadwick ventured on deck, in time to see the -reefed foresail taken off her. Just as they got the weather -clew-garnet chock up, the gale came screaming across the waste of -grey sea to such a tune that the skipper altered his mind there and -then. - -"Hold on with the lee gear of the foresail, Mr. Dixon," he bellowed, -and then he signed to the mate to come aft. - -"We'll wear her now and heave her to on the starboard tack," said the -'old man.' "This is going to be a fair perisher." - -As Dixon had been throwing out hints all night that he ought to do -that or run, he was glad to hear it. They waited for a smooth, and -put the helm up. - -"Square the after yards!" roared the skipper; and they squared away, -keeping the sails lifting. - -"Isn't it wonderful?" said Ruddle. "I do wish I understood it. I -wonder what they are doing it for?" - -"Square the foreyard!" yelled the captain; and they did so, and got -the staysail sheet over, and by proper management she came up on the -other tack with her nose pointing N.N.E. They hauled up what was now -the weather clew of the foresail, and the second mate and the men -jumped aloft and furled it. - -"Oh, dear," said Mr. Ruddle, "how dreadful to see them up there! I -can't believe that I ever did it, Chadwick." - -But the _Wave_ was carrying her topsails, and though they were reefed -she was scooting with her lee-rail awash. As soon as the foresail -was stowed, both topsail halliards were let go and the sails partly -smothered by the spilling lines. When they were furled, the lower -foretopsail was clewed up, and Ruddle, who got much excited, went -down on the main-deck in spite of the seas which came over right -for'ard by the galley. Mrs. Ruddle said, 'Oh, don't,' but Ruddle -said, 'My dear, it is so interesting, and I must.' And there he was -staring up at the crowd on the topsail-yard who were fighting the -bellying canvas like heroes. - -"Bless my soul, how very remarkable, and even terrible," said Ruddle. -"How very extraordinary. I wonder if I ever did that, I'll ask Mr. -Dixon if the manoeuvre is often performed." - -He fell upon the busy and very cross mate with this inquiry, and -though Dixon had heard the tale about him he did not credit it, and -put it down to some hallucination. - -"Do I do it often? Do what often?" asked Dixon scornfully. - -"Why, tie those sails up like that when it blows so hard?" asked -Ruddle innocently. "Why don't you tie them up when it is fine? It -would be much easier I should think." - -"Oh, go home and die," said the mate savagely. - -"That's very rude," said Ruddle, "and I don't like it." - -"If you don't like it you can lump it," said the mate. "Haven't you -more sense than to come worrying here in a gale of wind?" - -"Is it a real gale?" asked Ruddle. "A very hard one?" - -It certainly looked like one, for every squall came harder and -harder, so that the topsail when it was once smothered was blown out -of the men's grip, and was all abroad and bellying once more. - -"Damn your eyes, hold on to it or you'll lose the sail after all!" -yelled Dixon. But no one heard him on the yard, they were at grips -with the canvas again, and the second mate and the bo'son at the bunt -were doing all the cursing that was necessary for a task like that. - -"They seem to be working very courageously, and I think it wrong of -you to swear at them," said Ruddle severely; and then Dixon turned on -him as if he were going to hit him. At that moment a fresh squall -struck the _Wave_ and almost laid her on her beam ends, though she -was practically hove to under the lower maintopsail. - -"I never swear," said Ruddle, as the mate lifted his fist. Then the -squall shrieked, and as the _Wave_ laid over to it both Ruddle and -the mate lost their footing, and slid between the fo'castle and the -fore part of the deck-house as if they were on an ice toboggan run. -The mate said some awful things, and Ruddle gasped, 'You shouldn't, -oh, you really shouldn't.' And then they fetched up against the -lee-rail with a thump that caused a common accident and wrought a -very uncommon miracle. Mr. Dixon snapped his arm like a carrot, and -let a yell out of him that reached the crowd on the yard. - -"By crimes!" said the men up aloft, "when old Dickie squeals like -that he means comin' aloft himself to talk to hus like a father. Now -then, boys, grab again and 'old 'er!" - -As they tackled the topsail for the third time the cook came out of -the lee door of the galley and picked the mate out of the swamped -scuppers. - -"Easy, easy, you swab," said Dixon. "My arm's broke." - -With the cook's help he got aft, and when he did he promptly sat down -in the cabin and fainted right off with the pain. And Ruddle still -wallowed in the scuppers, for he had hit the rail with his head and -given it a most tremendous and effectual thump. After a minute or -two he stirred and spat out a mouthful of salt water. He also shook -his head and rubbed it. Then he sat up and said-- - -"Well, I'm damned! What has happened?" - -He shook his head again, and suddenly jumped to his feet. The -miracle happened, and they all heard it. Tom Ruddle in the old days -had the very finest foretopsail-yard ahoy voice that ever rang across -the wastes of ocean. It came back to him now. - -"Ain't you dogs got that topsail stowed yet?" he roared in accents -that made the second mate on the yard shake in his rubber boots. -"Oh, you slabsided gang of loafers, oh, you sojers, dig in and do -somethin', or before you know I'll be up there and boot you off the -yard." - -The entire crowd on the yard was so paralysed by what they heard that -they turned and looked at him, and very promptly lost all that they -had gained the last bout. To see a minister suddenly become a seaman -and use such language was enough to scare them into loosing the -jack-stay and tumbling overboard. - -"Jehoshaphat!" said they, "what's gone wrong with him?" - -And the second greaser was just as much surprised as any of them; so -much so, indeed, that he could not swear. Ruddle did it for him, and -his language was awful, full, abundant, brilliant and biting. He -told the second mate what he thought of him, and what he thought of -all his relations; and he confided to the storm what his opinion of -the crew was and always had been; and of a sudden he made a bound, -and jumping on the rail ran up the rigging like a monkey, and before -they could gasp he was right in among them at the bunt, exhorting -them as if they were impenitent mules. - -"Now, now, up with it, you no sailors, you!" he roared, as his long -black coat flapped in the wind like Irish pennants. He dug into the -bellying canvas with the clutch of a devil's claw, and the crew -sighed and were subdued to the strange facts, and did as he told them -like the best. There was now a sudden scream from aft. Mrs. Ruddle -caught sight of him on the yard, and Chadwick cried out-- - -"Oh, it was your husband that was swearing so." - -"Oh, Tom, Tom," screamed his wife, "come down, come down!" - -And she screamed again, and Ruddle heard it and swore vigorously. - -"What's a woman doin' on deck in such weather?" he cried, as he -clawed at the sail and held it with his stomach, and yelled in unison -with the second mate, who now began to see the joke of it. - -"Where does he think he is?" he said; and at that moment the last -great fold of the top-sail rose in the air like a breaking wave, and -with one yell of triumph the whole of the crowd threw themselves on -it and smothered its life out. - -"Sock it to her!" roared Ruddle triumphantly, as he dropped the -gathered bunt into the skin of the sail and reached for the bunt -gasket. - -"There you are," said Ruddle; and then for the first time he looked -at the second mate, and an expression of the blankest amazement -passed across his face. - -"Who the devil are you?" he asked. "I never saw you before." - -It was almost impossible to make one's self heard in the howl of the -gale, but Ruddle did it, and the crowd, with a grin on all their -weather-beaten and hairy countenances, waited to hear Mr. Smith's -answering yell. - -"Who the devil do you think you are?" he asked. - -"I'm the mate of this ship," said Ruddle, "but, but I don't think I -ever saw any of you before?" - -"How do you come to be togged up like you are, if you are mate?" -asked Smith, as he made the bunt gasket fast. "Don't you think you -look a hell of a sailor in that rig?" - -"I don't understand it," said Ruddle blankly. "Where did I get these -clothes?" - -"You'd better ask the 'old man,'" said the second mate. "You're a -clergyman, and you ain't a sailor at all." - -"You're a liar," said Ruddle. "But I don't understand it. I don't -know any of you. Where are we?" - -"Off the Cape, to be sure," said Smith. - -Ruddle shook his head. - -"There is something very horrid about this," he said, with an -awe-stricken expression of countenance, "for when we clewed up this -topsail we were off the Head of Kinsale." - -"Holy Moses," said the crowd, "'ow she must have scooted in 'alf a -watch!" - -"Well, we're off the Cape now," said Smith impatiently; "and if you -don't believe it, you can ask the captain." - -And they all came down on deck. Ruddle walked like a man in a dream, -and as he walked he rubbed the spot that had been bruised. When his -wife saw him coming she screamed again, and called out to him-- - -"Oh, Tom, Tom! how could you do it?" - -And Tom grasped the second mate by the arm. - -"Who's that woman calling 'Tom'?" - -The second mate stopped as if he had been shot, and whistled. - -"D'ye mean to say you don't know?" he asked. - -"Confound you, I wouldn't ask if I did," said Ruddle savagely. "It -ain't me, surely?" - -It was Smith's turn to grab hold of him. - -"Don't you know her?" he asked in tones of positive alarm. - -"No!" roared the unfortunate Ruddle. "No more than I know you or any -of 'em." - -Smith nearly fell down. - -"Man, she's your wife," said Smith; and once more Susan Ruddle said-- - -"Oh, Tom, how could you do it and me here?" - -Then Chadwick spoke and rebuked Ruddle very strongly for having done -it, and Ruddle shook his head and scratched it and shook it again, -and then burst out with dreadful language against Chadwick for -interfering with a stranger. - -"He don't know any of you," said Smith, as Chadwick fell into a cold -perspiration to hear his chief use such awful language. "He don't -know any of you. And he lets on that he is the mate of this ship, -and that we are off the Old Head of Kinsale." - -And Susan Ruddle fainted dead away. - -"Take the poor silly woman down below," said Ruddle. "She must be -mad. I don't know where I am, or how I got here, but I do know jolly -well that I ain't married, and that a girl in London that I ain't by -no means stuck on thinks I'm going to marry her this very year. But -I ain't goin' to, by a dern sight. Not me." - -They carried her down below just as the 'old man' came on deck after -setting the mate's arm. Smith told him what had happened. - -The skipper shook his head. - -"This is very remarkable and tryin'," said the skipper. "For Mr. -Dixon's arm is broken through this Ruddle barrackin' him and askin' -him why he did not take in sail when it was calm, as it would be -easier. Oh, this is very wonderful, and I makes very little of it. -And now he says he ain't married. He brought her here as his wife, -and you are all witnesses to that. Oh, it is very remarkable, and I -make nothin' of it in spite of his havin' been a sailor before, as -looks likely as he went aloft. Is it true he swore?" - -"Most awful and hair-raisin' and blasphemous," replied the second -mate, who was a very good judge of swearing. - -"Did he now, and him a minister? It's very remarkable, and I makes -nothin' of it," said the skipper, and he ran up the poop and right -into the arms of Ruddle. - -"Who are you? Are you the captain? I want to see the captain before -I go ragin' luny," said Ruddle. - -"Steady," said the old skipper, grasping him tightly by the arm, -"steady, my son. Don't you know me?" - -"Never saw you before that I know of," groaned Ruddle. "And there's -no one here that I know; and I don't know where I am or what I am, or -where I got these disgusting clothes from, or where we are, or -anything about anythin' whatsoever." - -The skipper gasped. - -"You don't remember bein' a minister, and tellin' me that you had -been a seaman and had had a bash on the crust with a shearpole from -aloft that laid you out stiff, and when you come to you didn't -rek'lect havin' bin a sailor at all, and that you then bore up for -the Church and became a missionary? Oh, say you rek'lect, for if you -don't I makes nothin' of it, and am most confused; and there is your -wife in a dead faint down below." - -But Ruddle shook his head. - -"I don't believe I ever was a missionary, for I always allowed they -were a scaly lot. And I ain't married, and the girl that thinks I'll -marry her is away off her true course by points. But I say, how long -do you reckon I was minister?" - -He held on to the 'old man' as if he was holding on to sanity, and -implored an answer. - -"We'll ask your pal," said Gray, and he bellowed down the companion -for Chadwick, who came on deck with his eyes bolting. - -"Is that my pal?" asked Ruddle in great disappointment. "Why, I -never saw him either." - -Poor Chadwick burst into tears. - -"Oh, this is dreadful, this is very dreadful," said poor Chadwick. -"What shall we do? Our chief stay and strength is gone from us, and -doesn't know even me that married him." - -Ruddle stared, and then rushed at him and held him in the grip of a -bear. - -"Steady, mister, are you speakin' truth or are you gettin' at me?" - -"It's the truth," said Chadwick. - -"Then how long was I in your business? Tell me straight, or I'll -sling you overboard right now." - -"Eight years," squealed Chadwick; "and there's all of us downstairs -can testify to the same." - -Ruddle sighed, and looked at the raging sea and at the skipper and at -Chadwick, and up aloft. After a long silence he spoke. - -"If I'm right the year's eighteen-ninety, and if you are right it -must be ninety-eight or more, accordin' to the time it took me to get -my certificate as missionary. What year is it?" - -"Nineteen hundred, so 'elp me," said the skipper; "and I'll have up -the Nautical Almanac to show you." - -But Ruddle took their word for it, and sniffed a little, and then -remarked-- - -"I do think my beard wants trimmin'. And am I mad now?" - -"No, no," said the faithful Chadwick, "you aren't mad, and in a -little while it will all come back to you, and you will come back to -us, and we'll all be happy, even Blithers." - -"Who's Blithers?" asked Ruddle sadly. Yet he did not wait for an -answer. Though the _Wave_ was now hove to under her main-topsail, -with the fore-yards checked in, and was fairly comfortable, the gale -instead of moderating let another reef out, so to speak, and was a -regular sizzler. - -"I should like to see that main-topsail goose-winged, sir," said -Ruddle suddenly, "for if we are off the Cape, as you all seem to -think, this is by no means the worst of it, and it will be a real -old-fashioned scorcher." - -The 'old man' looked at him. - -"Do you know the mate's arm is broke?" - -"No," said Ruddle. - -"Well, it is, and he ain't fit to do a thing, naturally, and that -means I haven't a mate." - -Ruddle looked pleased for the first time since he came back to his -old sea-self. - -"You don't say so. Well, that is fortunate," he said with a happy -smile. "This is what I call real luck. I'll be the mate, sir, till -you can get another." - -"Right," said the skipper. "And if you like you can goose-wing the -topsail, Mr. Ruddle. I reckon you're right about the weather. We -have enough parsons aboard to make old Davy Jones do his best." - -And Ruddle, with a happy flush on his face, bellowed from the break -of the poop for the watch to lay aft. They heard his voice with -amazement and came very lively. - -"Haul up the lee clew of the lower main-topsail," said the new mate, -and going down on the main-deck he saw the gear manned, and started -the sheet, and then lent his gigantic strength to get the clew chock -up. - -"Jump aloft and goose-wing it," said Ruddle to the bo'son, and the -men jumped and did as they were told with extraordinary agility. -They said it was a miracle, and so it was. But Ruddle was quite -happy for a moment, and when they were down on deck again he turned -to the skipper and laughed, positively laughed. - -But the 'old man' did not even smile. - -"I'm thinking of the poor little lady down below, Mr. Ruddle," he -said with a sigh. "What are you goin' to do about her?" - -A look of great determination came over Ruddle's face, and the smile -died out of it. - -"If I married, and I don't believe I did, when I was dotty through -bein' hit on the crust, I ain't goin' to acknowledge it," said he -with firmness. "I ain't the same man, that's obvious. And as I -don't know the lady, the situation would be uncommon awkward for her -and for me, and I think the best thing is for nothin' further to be -said." - -The skipper was very doubtful as to whether this was the proper way -to look at it, and he expressed a very decided opinion on what the -lady would say. - -"I'm a married man myself," said Gray, "and I own I have a wife that -is a jewel, but what she would say if I said I didn't know her, owing -to some accident at sea, fair inspires me with dread. I don't -believe Mrs. Ruddle will put up with it, and you'll have a holy time -in front of you if she as much as hears that you think of trying it -on." - -But Ruddle said he didn't care, and that he wasn't going to have a -wife foisted on him, so there. And down below Chadwick was breaking -the dreadful news to Susan Ruddle that her husband did not know her -or anyone else, and that he had become a sailor with a remarkably -unorthodox vocabulary, and when this was driven into the poor woman's -mind she screamed, and almost fainted again. - -"Oh, what shall I do, what shall I do!" she cried. And then Mr. -Blithers, who had never liked Ruddle, said that he would put it right. - -"I don't believe a word he says if he says he doesn't know us," said -Blithers angrily. "I always thought he was not the man he wanted us -to think. And as for that story of his, I never believed that -either. I shall go on deck and tell him that he is a scoundrel." - -He did so. He crawled to the poop and emerged into the gale in which -Ruddle was fairly revelling. - -"Ruddle, you are a scoundrel," said Blithers. "I always thought so, -and now I know it." - -Ruddle inspected him with great curiosity. - -"I'm a scoundrel, am I?" asked the new mate. "And what may you be?" - -"Don't you dare say you don't know me, Ruddle," said Blithers. - -"I know you," said Ruddle. "I can tell by the cut of your jib that -you are an infernal humbug of the first water. Get out of this -before I hurt you!" - -"I won't," said Blithers furiously. "I won't till you say what you -are going to do about your wife, who is weeping about you now, and -crying to you to come to her." - -"If you don't stop tellin' lies about me and ladies I'll throw you -down into the cabin," said Ruddle. - -"Hypocrite, liar, and man of sin, I defy you!" said Blithers; and the -next minute Ruddle had him by the neck and threw him into the cabin. - -"Stand from under," said Ruddle, and Blithers howled and fell, and -turned over and over as he went, and at last came to a stop at the -feet of Chadwick and the disconsolate wife. - -"He threw me down, and he knew me," screamed Blithers. "He said, 'I -know you, and you are a humbug.' He's just pretending." - -"I don't believe it, Mr. Blithers," wailed the unhappy woman. "He -was always a good judge of character even when he was at sea before. -But I want to see him myself. I must, and I will. He'll know me. -Oh, he must know me or I shall die!" - -The skipper came down below. - -"Oh, captain," said Susan Ruddle, "I want to see him. If he is the -mate now, as you say, you must order him to come to me at once." - -"I will," said the skipper. "It's odd I never thought of that -before, when he as good as said he declined to hear any more argument -about wives and women, and let on that the girl that reckoned to -marry him was likely to be disapp'inted. You cheer up, ma'am. I'll -send him down sharp." - -"Leave me here alone," said the discarded wife, who in spite of her -grief looked as pretty as a picture. "Leave me alone, please." - -Chadwick withdrew, and dragged the raging Blithers with him. As -Chadwick said, if anyone could bring Ruddle back to a sense of the -lost period of his youth, it was his wife, and if she failed it was -likely to be a very remarkable business and no mistake about it. He -told Blithers of other cases of the kind of which he had heard. On -the whole, Chadwick was optimistic. But Blithers shook his head, and -rather hoped that Ruddle would remain a sailor for the rest of his -life. - -"I never thought he was fit to be a missionary," said Blithers. "And -instead of him, I ought to be looked on as the chief here." - -There was a sharp argument going on on deck in the meantime. - -"I'll take charge of her, Mr. Ruddle," said the skipper, "and you can -go below and see your wife, who is naturally anxious to see you." - -"I ain't in the least anxious to go below," said Ruddle. "In fact, -if it's all the same to you I'd rather stay here till she's out of -the way." - -"I don't like to think that you are a coward," observed the skipper -severely, "but I'll be compelled to think so if you don't go at once -and square things up in some sort of shape." - -"Well," said Ruddle, "that's all very well for you, sir, that ain't -caught in the same nip. But I don't want to go. I don't know the -lady, and I'm naturally shy, and the cold perspiration pours off me -at the thought of it." - -"I order you to do your duty," said the 'old man.' "I order you to -go below and soothe the lady." - -"Oh Lord, oh, I say, I won't," stammered Ruddle. "I'd rather stay on -deck all night." - -"You won't? That's mutiny, Mr. Ruddle. It is disobeyin' orders, it -is refusing duty. I'd be very sorry to use severe measures with you, -but if you don't go I'll have you put in irons and carried to her." - -"You don't mean that, sir, do you?" - -"I mean it," said the skipper. "But I never did see such a man. I -never knew anyone so unwillin' to see a pretty woman before." - -"Oh, is she pretty?" asked Ruddle anxiously. - -"Rather," said the 'old man.' "Oh, a regular beauty, and no fatal -error. Dixon and Smith were both off their nuts about her when you -came on board." - -"What's she like?" asked Ruddle. "Tell me what she is like." - -"Well, for one thing, she has got the most beautiful golden hair," -said the skipper; "and from the way it's coiled, tier on tier on her -head, I should reckon she can sit on it easy." - -Ruddle sighed. - -"Well, that seems all right," he said. "I was afraid I might have -landed one of the half-bald kind I hate. I like 'em fair too. But -go on, sir." - -"Her eyes are a very superior kind of blue," said the poetical -skipper; "and in my judgment they don't stay the same kind of blue -all the time, but changes like the sea when clouds obscure the -heavens in a squall. I reckon she's mostly sweet tempered, but if -you riled her it would not surprise me to learn that she could stand -up for herself." - -"That's the way I like 'em," said Ruddle. "I never could abide the -milk-and-water woman. But is she big or little?" - -"Neither one nor the other," returned the skipper. "Speaking as a -judge of them, I should say she is as she should be, not too little, -not too big, but what you might call sizeable. And her complexion, -of which I'm a judge, is quite remarkable. Oh, on consideration I -should state with some firmness that she's very pretty." - -"You comfort me a good deal," said Ruddle; "and if you still insist -on my seein' her, I'll do it at once." - -"It's my duty to insist, Ruddle," said the 'old man.' "So down you -go, and mind you behave. And don't be too stand-offish, for I can't -abide to see tears, and never could, and as a result I've had much -trouble in my life. And when it's fixed up, come and tell me all -about it." - -And Ruddle started to see his wife with slow, reluctant steps. - -"It's my firm belief that nothin' of this nature ever happened -before," said Ruddle, "and my bein' nervous seems tolerable natural. -I wonder, oh, I do wonder, if I shall like her!" - -He descended the companion as slowly as if he were going to execution. - -"Oh, Tom, Tom," cried the lady who was, they said, his wife, and a -cold shiver ran down Ruddle's back. He did not dare to lift his -eyes, and stood there like a big schoolboy who has got into sad -trouble and is much ashamed of himself. - -"Oh, Tom, don't you know me?" cried Susan. She made an attempt to -rise, which was very promptly frustrated by the gale. Ruddle lifted -his eyes at last. - -"If you please, ma'am, I don't think I do," said he. Then he added -in desperation--"At least, not well, ma'am." - -The situation was too desperate for screaming, and Susan accordingly -did not scream. She became dignified. - -"I have been your wife for three years, and now you say you don't -know me. If you don't know me, who am I, and what am I? Tom, sir, -Mr. Ruddle, I pause for a reply." - -Poor Ruddle shook his head very sadly. - -"It's mighty awkward, I own," he said after some reflection; "and I -don't know what to do about it. I'm very sorry I don't know you, but -I can't say I do, much as I'd like to oblige a lady that I'm bound to -respect, as, according to the other gents in long-tailed coats, I'm -married to her. But they say I was a missionary, and now I'm a -seaman again, and maybe you don't care for those that follow the sea." - -"I don't mind anything," sobbed Susan, who was wondering if she might -tell her husband that she loved him and would not care if he were a -dustman. But somehow it did not seem quite proper to speak in that -way to a man who didn't know her. - -"Oh, please, don't cry," said Ruddle in great distress. "When a lady -cries I never know what to do." - -"I think I'm almost glad you d-don't," said Susan, and she smiled on -him through her tears, and looked very beautiful. - -"The 'old man' was right," said Tom Ruddle, "she's as beautiful as a -picture, and just the kind I like. I don't think I could have bin' -very dotty when I married her, and I wish I remembered somethin' -about it. If I say I think she is pretty, I wonder whether she will -be mad and think it a liberty. I think I'll try. They mostly like -it." - -He approached her slowly. - -"If I don't know you, what may I call you?" he asked diffidently. - -Mrs. Ruddle gave a gasp. - -"Don't you know my name? Oh, how very dreadful! I'm Susan, and you -used to call me Dilly Duck." - -"Did I?" asked Ruddle. "And why did I do that?" - -Susan said she didn't know, but supposed that it was because he liked -her very much. - -"But I like you very much now," said Ruddle, "I really do; and I -think you are very pretty, ma'am, if I may say so, and the situation -is very awkward. I hope I ain't too forward, which has never been my -way with ladies, I assure you." - -As it had taken Susan over a year to encourage him to the point of -proposing, she felt sure that he was speaking the solid truth, and it -touched her deeply. - -"I'm very glad you think I'm pretty," she said with the most charming -modesty. "If--oh, if you think so, perhaps you are not sorry that -you are married." - -"But I don't feel married," urged Ruddle desperately, "and I don't -know what to do about it. It's by far the awkwardest situation I was -ever in by long chalks, and it beats me, it fair beats me." - -But surely there was a way out, thought Susan, and she wondered -whether as his wife she might not suggest it. - -"But you like me?" - -"Oh, yes, to be sure," said Ruddle, "and I quite understand how I -came to marry you. That is, I can understand how I wanted to, but -what fair licks me is what you saw in me. Perhaps it was my bein' a -long-tailed parson. Was it, now?" - -"Not in the least," said Susan stoutly, "it was because you were you." - -"But now I ain't what I was, and you must find it very embarrassing, -ma'am." - -"What I find embarrassing is your calling me 'ma'am,'" said Susan, -with a snap that made Ruddle see that the skipper was right in other -ways than his judgment of the lady's beauty. - -"Very well," said Tom Ruddle in a great hurry, "I'll call you Susan -if you like." - -"Of course I like," said Susan; "and if you like you can call me -Dilly Duck too." - -But though Ruddle was much encouraged, he could not go so far as that -all at once. - -"If you won't, you might at anyrate sit down near me," said the fair -Circe with the golden hair. And Tom sat down gingerly. - -"I don't know what is to be done," said he in a melancholy way. "I -suppose you agree with me, ma'am,--Susan, I mean,--that it is very -awkward and most unusual? Looking it fair and square, I don't see a -way out, unless----" - -"Unless what?" asked Susan, with her eyes on the deck. She herself -had an idea of the way out, but she wanted him to find it. - -"It's very odd that I should feel as I do, as we have been married," -said Ruddle; "but I'm that took aback by the facts as they show up -against my present lights, that I seem in a dream, like as if I had -sternway on me and was in a regular tangle. Tell me, when I was a -missionary was I much afraid of you?" - -Susan sighed and took him by the arm. - -"I think you were a little afraid sometimes, Tom, especially if I was -cross with you." - -"Ah, I dessay," said her husband. "And if I was scared of you at -times when I knew you, it seems natural, don't it, that I should be -worse scared of you now that I don't?" - -"But you aren't really frightened of me, darling, are you?" asked -Susan, once more turning on the water-works. - -"When you cry and call me that," said Ruddle, "I don't know where I -am, and I want to----" - -"You want to what?" asked Susan in the sweetest voice. - -"I--I don't quite know," stammered Ruddle. - -"I know," said Susan triumphantly. - -"Oh, no, you can't," said Ruddle in great haste. "I'm certain you -can't, for it ain't possible." - -But Susan lifted her sea-blue eyes to his and shook her head. - -"I do know, Tom. You want to kiss me." - -Tom gasped and stared at her. "Well, you are clever," he said, with -the greatest air of admiration. "I don't believe that any other -woman would have guessed it." - -And Susan sat waiting. - -"Well?" she said at last. - -"Oh, may I?" asked Tom. - -"Of course you may," said Susan, once more looking at the deck. And -he kissed her, and then took her in his arms while she wept. - -"And you are sure you love me again?" she asked. - -"It's most wonderful," said Tom, "but now I come to think of it, I -feel as if I had always loved you, and no other woman can as much as -get a look in. There was a girl in London that thought I was goin' -to tie up alongside, but she's away off it, and I'll never marry -anyone but you." - -Susan wisely forbore at that moment to make any inquiries about this -other girl, of whom she had never heard till that moment, and she put -her golden head against her husband's shoulder. - -"I think I am quite happy, Tom," she said, "though I am very sorry -you don't remember how happy we were when we were first married." - -Tom shook his head. - -"I'm sorry for that too," he replied, "but it can't be helped, and -we'll be happy yet if you really love me enough to marry me again." - -"But we are married, Tom," said Susan. - -"You may be," said Tom, "but I haven't the feelings of it, and I mean -to ask that long-tail to tie us up again, so that there can be no -mistake about it. What do you say?" - -Susan said he was a darling, and that she loved him more than ever, -and was willing to be married to him a thousand times if he wanted it. - -"And you don't mind my bein' a sailor instead of a missionary?" asked -Tom. - -"I much prefer it, so long as you don't go to sea," said Susan; and -leaving that to be arranged later, Tom Ruddle called the curious -Chadwick from his cabin. - -"I've fixed it up," said Tom triumphantly. "I've fixed it to rights, -sir. My wife is goin' to marry me again, and we'd be much obliged if -you would perform the ceremony." - -"It seems very irregular," said Chadwick, "but considering the very -peculiar circumstances I've no objection to make. It is really very -wonderful. I congratulate you both. I must call the captain and -tell him about it." - -When the second mate came on deck the 'old man' went below. As soon -as he grasped the situation he turned to Susan with a grin. - -"You brought him to his bearings pretty quick, ma'am, and I -congratulate you. But then a pretty woman like you ain't the sort to -go long a-beggin'. I knew you'd fetch him! When I described you to -him, me bein' a judge of female beauty, I saw how it would be. Who's -goin' to do the new hitching?" - -Mr. Chadwick said he was going to do it. - -"It's the first time I ever married the same couple twice," he said; -and Brother Blithers sat in the background and said it was -uncanonical. But no one paid any attention to Blithers. The other -missionaries chipped in with their congratulations, and said that -they hoped Ruddle would still be one of them. - -"Thank you, gentlemen," said Ruddle, "but I have too much admiration -for you to think I can be one of you again. I have a cousin that's a -shipowner, and when he finds that I'm alive and in my right sea -senses, he'll give me a ship, for though I've never been skipper of -anythin' yet, I hold a master's certificate. And my wife will go to -sea with me." - -"Darling, I'll go anywhere with you," whispered Susan. And then they -were married, while the gale roared about them, and the good old -_Ocean Wave_ rode it out under a goose-winged main-topsail as -comfortably as a duck in a puddle. - -"It's all very wonderful," said Ruddle, as he went on deck at four -o'clock to keep his watch. The 'old man' said that it was. - -"All the same I knew she'd fetch you," said Gray. "I think the worst -of it is over. We'll be makin' sail in the mornin'. As this is your -weddin'-day, Mr. Ruddle, I'll keep your watch to-night." - -"Thank you, sir," said Ruddle. "Lord, what a wonderful world it is." - -Mrs. Ruddle said so too. - - - - -THE CAPTAIN OF THE _ULLSWATER_ - -There were enemies of Captain Amos Brown who said that he was a liar. -He certainly had a vivid imagination, or a memory for a more romantic -career than falls to the lot of most at sea or ashore. - -"By the time we make Callao, Mr. Wardle," said the skipper to his new -mate, as they lay in Prince's Dock, Liverpool, "I expect to be able -to tell you something of my life, which has been a very remarkable -one." - -"You don't say so, sir," said Mr. Wardle, who, as it happened, had -heard nothing about the skipper, and was innocently prepared to -swallow quite a deal. "You don't say so, sir." - -"I do say so," replied the skipper. "It has been a most remarkable -career from first to last. Wonders happen to me, Mr. Wardle, so that -when I am at sea I just know that something will occur that is -strange. I have a collection of binoculars, with inscriptions on -them for saving lives at sea, that would surprise you. They have -been given me by almost every Government of any importance under the -sun." - -"That must be very gratifyin', sir," said the mate. - -"It gets monotonous," said the skipper with a yawn. "At times I wish -foreign Governments had more imagination. They never seem to think -two pair of glasses enough for any man. And the silver-mounted -sextants I possess are difficult to stow away in my house. If you -don't mind the inscription to me on it, I'll give you a sextant -presented to me by France, Mr. Wardle, if I can remember to bring it -with me from home next time." - -Mr. Wardle said he should be delighted to own it, and said, further, -that the inscription would naturally give it an added interest. At -this the skipper yawned again, and said that he was tired of -inscriptions. - -"The next lot I pick up I'll request not to give my name," he said. -"My wife, Mr. Wardle, gets tired of keeping a servant specially to -polish 'to Captain Brown,' with a lot of complimentary jaw to follow -that makes her tired. She knows what I am, Mr. Wardle, and doesn't -require to be reminded of it by falling over a gold-mounted sextant -every time she turns round. A woman even of a greedy mind can easily -get palled with sextants, and a woman sees no particular use in them -when they take up room that she wants to devote to heirlooms in her -family. Before we get to Callao I'll tell you all about my wife, and -how I came to marry her. It is a romantic story. She belongs to a -noble family. She is the most beautiful woman that you ever set eyes -on. I'll tell you all about it before we get to Callao. I've always -been a very attractive man to the other sex, Mr. Wardle. She's -rather jealous, too, though she belongs to a noble family. I -understand in noble families it isn't good taste to be jealous, but -she is. However, I must write to her now, or I shall have a letter -from her at Callao that would surprise you, if by that time I know -you well enough to show it to you. And now, what were you saying -about those three cases marked P.D., and consigned to Manuel Garcia?" - -Mr. Wardle told him what he had been saying about the cases marked -P.D. and consigned to Manuel Garcia, and it was settled what was to -be done with them. The skipper said that he wished they were full of -his binoculars and diamond-mounted sextants, and also his gold -watches with fulsome inscriptions on them, and that they were -consigned to Davy Jones. - -"And this is a letter for you, sir," said the mate. The skipper -opened it. - -"From my wife," he said, and then he swore. - -"Another pair of binoculars from the Swedish Government," he groaned. -"I shall write and say that I would rather have a suit of clothes, -and that if there must be an inscription on them will they put it -where it can't be seen. The German Government once did that for me, -but they put the inscription in good English on the collar, and I -found it very inconvenient, for strangers would come and breathe in -my neck while they read it." - -Mr. Wardle went away to ask the second mate what he thought of the -skipper. He sighed, and the second mate laughed. The second mate -was an unbelieving dog and a merry one. When it came six o'clock -they had a wash, and put on clean clothes, and went up town together, -and had a friendly drink at a well-known public-house which was a -great resort for mates and second mates, though a skipper rarely put -his nose inside it. - -"I wonder what kind of a chap the skipper is, after all," said -Humphries the second mate. "It seems to me, sir, that he is a holy -terror of a liar, and no mistake." - -"Oh, I shouldn't like to say that," replied Wardle. "I do, however, -think he exaggerates and puts it on a bit thick. That isn't bein' a -liar. I daresay he has saved life at sea. He wouldn't have offered -me a silver-mounted sextant if he hadn't several." - -"I shall believe you will get it when I see you with it," said Jack -Humphries. "In my opinion Captain Amos Brown is a first-class liar." - -Perhaps he spoke a little too loudly for a public place, though that -public place was a billiard-room with four second mates playing a -four-handed game, and making as much row over it as if they were -picking up the bunt of the fore-sail in a gale of wind. He was -overheard by the only old man in the room. - -"Did I hear you mention someone called Amos Brown?" asked the old -chap sitting next to him. - -"I did, sir," said the second mate of the _Ullswater_. "Do you know -him?" - -"I had an Amos Brown as an apprentice with me when I commanded the -_Samuel Plimsoll_," replied the old gentleman, "and he was a very -remarkable lad. I think I heard you say that this one was a liar?" - -"I did," said Humphries; "though perhaps I shouldn't have done so, as -I'm second mate with him now, sir." - -The old boy shook his head. - -"I won't tell him. But it surely must be the same. The Brown I knew -was an awful liar, and I've seen many in my time, gentlemen." - -He asked them to drink with him, and they did it willingly. To know -the one-time skipper of the old _Samuel Plimsoll_ was something worth -while, seeing that she had once held the record for a day's run. And -if his Brown was theirs it was a chance not to be missed. They took -their drinks, and asked him to tell them all about Amos Brown. - -"He went overboard in a gale of wind and saved another boy who -couldn't swim," said the stranger, "and when we got them back on -board, and he could speak, the very first thing he said was that he -had seventeen medals from the Royal Humane Society for saving other -lives. Does that sound like your man?" - -Wardle told him about the binoculars and gold watches and -silver-mounted sextants. - -"Ah, he's the man," said the old skipper. "Don't you think because -he gasses that he hasn't pluck. I'd not be surprised to hear that -there is some truth in what he says. I've known one man with four -pairs of inscribed binoculars. I daresay Captain Brown has a pair or -two. When you see him, tell him that you met Captain Gleeson, who -used to command the _Samuel Plimsoll_. And as I'm goin' now, I don't -mind owning that I'm the man that has the four pairs of binoculars, -gentlemen." - -He bade them good-night, and Humphries said when he had gone that he -was probably as big a liar as the skipper, and had never seen the -_Samuel Plimsoll_. - -"And as for Brown bein' a hero," added the second mate, "I simply -don't believe it. A liar can't be brave." - -This was a large and youthful saying, and Wardle, who was not so -young as his subordinate, had his doubts of it. - -"I rather think the captain is all right," he said. "I'll ask him -to-morrow if he was ever in the _Samuel Plimsoll_." - -They were at sea before he got a chance to do so. - -"The _Samuel Plimsoll_? well, I should say so!" said the skipper. -"And you actually met dear old Gleeson! Why, Mr. Wardle, he was the -man that set me on makin' this collection of inscribed articles. Bar -myself he is the one man in the whole merchant service with more than -he can do with. His native town has a department in its museum -especially devoted to what he has given them in that way. His wife -refused to give them house-room, and I don't blame her. I saved most -of the crew in that dear old hooker at one time or another, went -overboard after them in gales of wind. They got to rely on me and -grew very careless. I often told them that I wouldn't go after any -more, but when you see a poor chap drownin' it is difficult to stay -in the dry and let him." - -"Ah," said Wardle, "he did speak about your savin' one." - -The skipper cast a quick look at him, and then laughed. - -"One, indeed," he said contemptuously. "Why I saved the whole of the -mate's watch, the mate included; and on three other occasions I was -hauled out of my bunk to go after one of the starboard watch. The -only thing I have against old Gleeson is that he was jealous when he -saw I was likely to knock his collection of medals and binoculars -into a cocked-hat. One, indeed! I've saved seventy men, boys, and -women, by goin' in after 'em myself; and somethin' like forty-five -crews by skilful seamanship in the face of unparalleled difficulties. -I wish I could have a talk with Gleeson." - -"He said you were one of the bravest lads he ever met, sir," said -Wardle. - -The skipper's face softened. - -"Did he now? Well, that was nice of him, but I think he might have -told you about more than one I saved." - -"And he said he had only four pairs of binoculars given him by -foreign Governments," added Wardle. - -"That is his false modesty," said Captain Brown. "He has an idea -that if he told the truth he would not be believed. I don't care who -doesn't believe me, Mr. Wardle. If surprisin' things occur to a man -why should he not relate them? There's my wife, for instance, one of -the nobility, a knight's daughter! I know men that wouldn't mention -it for fear of not bein' believed they had married so far above them. -She is the most beautiful woman in the three kingdoms, to say nothin' -of Europe. I know men that it would seem like braggin' in to say -that, but when you get to know me, and know that speakin' the truth -isn't out of gear with my natural modesty, you will see why I mention -it so freely." - -In the course of the next few days Captain Amos Brown mentioned a -good many things freely that redounded to the credit of himself and -his family, and he did it so nicely, with such an engaging air of -innocent and delightful candour, that poor Wardle did not know -whether he was shipmates with the most wonderful man on earth or the -most magnificent liar. - -"I don't know where I am," he confided in his junior. - -"I know where _I_ am," said the graceless second greaser. "I am with -a skipper with as much jaw as a sheep's head, and if he said it was -raining I should take off my oilskins. He's the biggest braggart and -liar I ever met, sir." - -"I cannot listen to you sayin' such things," said the mate. - -"I beg your pardon for doin' so," replied Humphries, "but the 'old -man' is a scorcher, and I can't help seein' it." - -To a less prejudiced observer it must have been obvious that there -were many fine qualities in Captain Amos Brown. He inspected the -cooking of the men's food at intervals which annoyed the cook and -kept him up to his work. When he went his rounds he saw that things -were shipshape even in the deckhouse. The men for'ard said he might -be a notorious liar, as they heard from the steward, but they said he -looked like a man and a seaman. Mr. Wardle found him as smart a -navigator as he had ever sailed with, and before long was learning -mathematics from him. - -"No officer need be ashamed of takin' a wrinkle from me, Mr. Wardle," -said the skipper, after giving him a lesson in star observations that -made the mate sit up. "The Astronomer Royal himself owned to me that -I could give him pounds and a beating at a great deal of mathematics. -I love it, there is something so fine and free about it. I go -sailin' over the sea of the calculus with both sheets aft. He is -goin' to publish some observations of mine about the imperfections of -the sextant. They were brought to my notice by my series of -silver-mounted ones. I'm inventin' a new one compensated for all -different temperatures." - -And yet it was quite true that, as far as Wardle went with him, a -better and clearer-headed teacher could not be found. - -"I shall end in believing every word he says," thought the mate. - -And if the mate found him his master in navigation, Humphries found -that there wasn't a trick of practical seamanship that wasn't at his -finger-ends, from cutting out a jib to a double Matthew Walker on a -four-stranded rope, which the skipper could almost do with his eyes -shut. - -"Everything is all the same to me, Mr. Humphries," said the skipper -calmly. "I'm a born pilot, and I can handle every rig as easy as if -I'd been born in 'em. I can sail a scow or a schooner, and every -kind of sailing-boat from a catamaran to an Arab dhow. And at steam -I'm just as good." - -Humphries did not believe a word of it, and used to read up -old-fashioned seamanship in order to pose him. He never did, and the -most out-of-date sea-riddle was to the skipper as easy as slinging a -nun-buoy. - -"He beats me, I own," said the second mate. "He's the best at -all-round sailorizin' that I ever sailed with." - -The men for'ard said the same. And the bo'son, who was a very crusty -beast from Newcastle, was of opinion that what the 'old man' did not -know about ships was not worth knowing. - -"I'm goin' to believe 'im hif so be 'e says 'e's bin to the moon," -said one cockney. "But for hall we knows the 'old man' may not show -hup and shine as 'e does now w'en it's 'ard weather. I was shipmet -wiv a skipper once that was wonderful gassy so long's it was topmast -stuns'l weather, but when it blew a gale 'e crawled into 'is bunk -like a sick stooard, and there 'e stayed till the sun shone." - -They soon had a chance of seeing whether the skipper was a -fair-weather sailor or not. They had taken an almighty time to get -to the south'ard of the Bay of Biscay, for it had been almost as calm -as a pond all the way from the Tuscar. Now the barometer began to -fall in a steady, business-like way that looked as if it meant work, -while a heavy swell came rolling up from the south. The dawn next -morning was what ladies would have called beautiful, for it was full -of wonderful colour, and reached in a strange glory right to the -zenith. It afforded no joy, artistic or otherwise, to anyone on -board the _Ullswater_, as she rolled in the swell with too little -wind to steady her. The watch below came out before breakfast, and -looked at the scarlet and gold uneasily. There was a tremendously -dark cloud on the horizon, and the high dawn above it was alone a -threat of wind. The clouds, that were lighted by the hidden sun, -were hard and oily; they had no loose edges, the colour was brilliant -but opaque. To anyone who could read the book of the sky the signs -were as easy as the south cone. They meant 'very heavy weather from -the south and west.' The skipper looked a deal more happy than he -had done before. His eyes were clear and bright; there was a ring in -his voice which encouraged everybody; he walked the poop rubbing his -hands as if he was enjoying himself, as he undoubtedly was. He -shortened the _Ullswater_ down in good time, but set his three -t'gallan's'ls over the reefed topsails, and hung on to them until -squalls began to come out of the south which threatened to save all -trouble of furling them. By noon the sun was out of sight under a -heavy grey pall, and the sea got up rapidly as the wind veered into -the west of south. An hour later it was blowing enough to make it -hard to hear anyone speak, and he roared the most dreadful and -awe-inspiring lies into the ear of his mate. - -"This is goin' to be quite a breeze, Mr. Wardle," he shouted -joyously, "but I don't think the weather nowadays is ever what it was -when I was young. I've been hove to in the Bay for three weeks at a -time. And once we were on our beam ends for a fortnight, and all we -ate all that time was one biscuit each. I was so thin at the finish -that I had to carry weights in my pocket to keep myself from bein' -blown overboard. Oh, this is nothin'! We can hang on to this till -the wind is sou'-west, and then maybe we'll heave to." - -By the middle of the afternoon watch the _Ullswater_ was hanging on -to a gale on the port-tack with her main hatch awash, and the crowd -for'ard had come to the conclusion that for carrying sail the 'old -man' beat any American Scotchman they had ever heard of. When he at -last condescended to heave her to, all hands, after wearing her, had -a job with the fore and mizzen-topsails that almost knocked the -stuffing out of them, as they phrased it. The skipper, however, told -them that they had done very well, and told the steward to serve out -grog. As the owners of the _Ullswater_ were teetotallers, and about -as economical as owners are made, this grog was at the skipper's own -expense. When they had got it down, the entire crowd said that they -would believe anything the skipper said henceforth. They went -for'ard and enjoyed themselves, while the old hooker lay to with a -grummet on her wheel, and the great south-wester howled across the -Bay. If the main-topsail hadn't been as strong as the grog and the -skipper's yarns, it would have been blown out of the bolt-ropes -before dark, for the way the wind blew then made the 'old man' own at -supper-time that it reminded him of the days of his youth. - -"But you never will catch me heavin' to under anythin' so measly as a -tarpaulin' in the rigging," said Captain Amos Brown, with his mouth -full of beef and his leg round the leg of the table, as the -_Ullswater_ climbed the rising seas and dived again like a swooping -frigate-bird. "I like to have my ship under some kind of command -however it blows. One can never tell, Mr. Humphries, when one may -need to make sail to save some of our fellow-creatures. As yet -neither of you two gentlemen have got as much as the cheapest pair of -binoculars out of our own Board of Trade or a foreign Government. -With me you'll have your chance to go home to your girl and chuck -somethin' of that sort into her lap, and make her cry with joy. I -saved my own wife, who is the most beautiful woman in the world, and -weighs eleven stone, and has for years, and I got a sextant and a -nobleman's daughter at one fell swoop. Oh, I've been a lucky man." - -"How did you save your wife, sir?" asked Humphries, who was almost -beginning to believe what the skipper said. - -"You may well ask, and I can't tell," replied the skipper proudly. -"I hardly remember how it was, for when I get excited I do things -which kind friends of mine say are heroic, and I can't remember 'em. -But so far as I can recall it, I swam near a mile in a sea like this, -and took command of a dismasted barque with most of the crew disabled -through havin' their left legs broke, a most remarkable fact. There -wasn't a sound left leg in the whole crowd except my wife's, and the -only thing out of order was that the captain's left leg was broke in -two places. I took charge of her, and put splints on their legs, and -we were picked up by a tug from Queenstown and towed in there, and -the doctors all said I was the neatest hand with splints they had -ever seen. And I married my wife then and there with a special -license, and I've never regretted it from that day to this. By Jove, -though, doesn't it blow!" - -How the "nobleman's" daughter came to be on board the dismasted -barque he did not explain, and he shortly afterwards turned in, -leaving orders to be called if it blew much harder. - -"And when I say much harder, Mr. Wardle, I mean much harder. Please -don't disturb me for a potty squall." - -As a result of these orders he was not called till the early dawn, -when it was blowing nearly hard enough to unship the main capstan. -Even then Wardle would not have ventured to rouse him if he had not -fancied that he saw some dismasted vessel far to leeward in the mirk -and smother of the storm. - -"I think I saw a vessel just now down to loo'ard," screamed the mate -as the skipper made a bolt for him under the weather cloth on the -mizzen rigging. "Dismasted I think, sir." - -He saw the 'old man's' eye brighten and snap. - -"Where did you say?" he roared; and before he could hear they had to -wait till a singing squall went over. - -"To loo'ard," said the mate again; and the next moment the skipper -saw what he looked for. - -"Not dismasted, on her beam ends," he shouted. And in a few more -minutes, as the grey dawn poured across the waste of howling seas, -Wardle saw that the 'old man' was right. - -"Poor devils," he said, "it's all over with them." - -The word that there was a vessel in difficulties soon brought out the -watch on deck, who were taking shelter in the deckhouse. As it was -close on four o'clock the watch below soon joined them, and presently -Humphries came up on the poop. - -"Ah!" said the second mate, "they are done for, poor chaps." - -This the skipper heard, and he turned round sharply and roared, -"What, with me here? Oh, not much!" - -He turned to Wardle. - -"Here's your chance for a pair of inscribed binoculars," he said. "I -believe she's French, and the French Government have generous minds -in the way of fittings and inscriptions, Mr. Wardle." - -"But in this sea, sir?" stammered the mate. "Why, a boat couldn't -live in it for a second, even if we launched one safe, sir." - -"I've launched boats in seas to which this was a mere calm," said the -skipper ardently. "And if I can't get you or Humphries to go I shall -go myself." - -"You don't mean it, sir," said the mate; and then the skipper swore -many powerful oaths that he did mean it. - -"In the meantime we're driftin' down to her," said Captain Brown, -"for she is light and high out of the water and we are as deep as we -can be." - -It soon got all over the ship that the 'old man' meant to attempt a -rescue of those in distress, and there was a furious argument for'ard -as to whether it could be done, and whether any captain was justified -in asking his crew to man a boat in such a sea. The unanimous -opinion of all the older men was that it couldn't be done. The -equally unanimous opinion of all the younger ones was that if the -skipper said it could be done he would go in the first boat himself -rather than be beaten. - -"Well, it will be a case for volunteers," said one old fo'c'sle man, -"and when I volunteer to drown my wife's husband I'll let all you -chaps know." - -And that was very much the opinion of Wardle, who was a married man -too. As for Humphries, he was naturally reckless, and was now ready -to do almost anything the skipper asked. - -"He may be a liar," said the second mate, "but I think he's all -right, and I like him." - -Now it was broad daylight, and the vessel was within a mile of them. -Sometimes she was quite hidden, and sometimes she was flung up high -on the crest of a wave. Heavy green seas broke over her as she lay -with her starboard yardarms dipping. She had been running under a -heavy press of canvas when she broached to, and went over on her beam -ends, for even yet the sheets of the upper main-topsail were out to -the lower yardarm, and though the starboard half of the sail had -blown out of the bolt ropes, the upper or port yardarm still was -sound and as tight as a drum with the wind. - -"If she hasn't sunk yet she'll swim a while longer," said the skipper -of the _Ullswater_, as the day grew lighter and lighter still. "Show -the British ensign, Mr. Humphries, and cheer them up if they're -alive. I wish I could tell them that I am here. I'll bet they know -me. I'm famous with the French from Dunkirk to Toulon. At -Marseilles they call me Mounseer Binoculaire, and stand in rows to -see me pass." - -The lies that he told now no one had any ears for. Wardle owned -afterwards that he was afraid that the 'old man' would ask him to go -in command of a boat, and, like the old fo'c'sle man, he was thinking -a good deal of his wife's husband. But all the while Captain Amos -Brown was telling whackers that would have done credit to Baron -Munchausen, he was really thinking of how he was to save those whose -passage to a port not named in any bills of lading looked almost -certain. By this time the foreigner was not far to leeward of them. - -"No one could blame us if we let 'em go," shrieked the 'old man' in -his mate's ear as the wind lulled for one brief moment. "But I never -think of what other men would do, Mr. Wardle. I remember once in a -cyclone in the Formosa Channel----" - -What dreadful deed of inspired heroism he had performed in a cyclone -in the Formosa Channel Wardle never knew, for the wind cut the words -from the skipper's lips and sent them in a howling shower of spray -far to loo'ard. But his last words became audible. - -"I was insensible for the best part of a month after it," screamed -Amos Brown. "The usual ... silver-mounted ... sickened ... wife as I -said." - -Then he caught the mate by the arm. - -"We'll stand by 'em, Mr. Wardle. If I get another sextant, as I -suspect, I must put up with it. Get the lifeboat ready, Mr. Wardle, -and get all the empty small casks and oil-drums that you can and lash -them under the thwarts fore and aft. Make her so that she can't sink -and I'll go in her myself." - -This fetched the blood into Wardle's face. - -"That's my job, sir," he said shortly, for he forgot all about his -wife's husband at that moment. - -"I know it," said the skipper, "but with your permission I'll take it -on myself, as I've had so much experience in this sort of thing and -you've had none. And I tell you you'll have to handle the -_Ullswater_ so as to pick us up as we go to loo'ard, and it will be a -job for a seaman and no fatal error." - -The mate swore softly and went away and did as he was told. The men -hung back a little when he told them to get the boat ready for -launching, though they followed him when they saw him begin to cast -off the gear by which she was made fast. But the old fo'c'sle man -had something to say. - -"The captain ain't goin' to put a boat over the side in a sea like -this, is he, sir?" - -Wardle snorted. - -"You had better ask him," he replied savagely, and then there was no -more talk. He went back to the poop and reported that the boat was -ready. He also reported that the men were very unlikely to volunteer. - -"They'll volunteer fast enough when they know I'm goin' to ask -nothin' of them that I don't ask of myself," said the captain. "I -really think the wind is takin' off a little, Mr. Wardle." - -Perhaps it was, but if so the sea was a trifle worse. But it seemed -to the skipper and the two mates that the French vessel was lower in -the water than she had been. She was getting a pounding that nothing -built by human hands could stand for long. - -"There's not much time to lose," said the skipper. - -Captain Amos Brown apparently knew his business, and knew it, as far -as boats were concerned, in a way to make half the merchant skippers -at sea blush for their ignorance of one of the finest points of -seamanship. The skipper had the crew aft under the break of the -poop, and came down to them himself. They huddled in the space -between the two poop-ladders and looked very uneasy. - -"Do any of you volunteer to try and save those poor fellows to -loo'ard of us?" asked the 'old man.' And no one said a word. They -looked at the sea and at each other with shifty eyes, but not at him. - -"Why, sir, 'tis our opinion that no boat can't live in this sea," -said the bo'son. - -"I think it can," said the captain, "and I'm goin' to try. Do any of -you volunteer to come with your captain? I ask no man to do what I -won't do myself." - -There was something very fine about the liar of the _Ullswater_ as he -spoke, and everyone knew that now at least he was telling no lies. - -"I'm wiv you, sir," said a young cockney, who was the foulest mouthed -young ruffian in the ship, and had been talked to very severely by -his mates on that very point. It is not good form for a youngster to -use worse language than his elders at sea. Some of the others looked -at him angrily, as if they felt that they had to go now. A -red-headed Irishman followed the cockney, just as he had followed him -into horrid dens down by Tiger Bay. - -"I'm with ye, too, sorr," said Mike. - -"I'm only askin' for six," said the skipper. Then the old fo'c'sle -man, who had been so anxious about his wife's husband, hooked a black -quid out of his back teeth and threw it overboard. - -"I'll come, sir." - -But now all the other young men spoke together. The skipper had his -choice, and he took the unmarried ones. - -He gave his orders now to the mate without a touch of braggadocio. - -"We'll run her off before the wind, Mr. Wardle, and then quarter the -sea and lower away on the lee quarter. See that there is a man on -the weather quarter with oil, so as to give us all the smooth you -can. When we are safe afloat give us your lee to work in all you -can, and hang her up in the wind to windward of the wreck all you -know. While you are there don't spare oil; let it come down to her -and us. It is possible that we may not be able to get a line to the -wreck, but we'll go under her stern and try. With all her yards and -gear in the sea it won't be possible to get right in her lee, so we -may have to call to them to jump. My reckonin' is that we may pick -up some that way before we get too far to loo'ard. When we get down -close to her, fire the signal-gun to rouse them up to try and help -us. When you see us well to loo'ard of the wreck, put your helm up, -and run down and give us your lee again. If we miss her and have to -try again, we must beat to windward once more. But that's -anticipatin', ain't it? You can put your helm up now, Mr. Wardle. -Shake hands." - -And they shook hands. Then the skipper and his men took to the boat, -which was ready to lower in patent gear, with Humphries in charge of -it, and the _Ullswater_ went off before the wind. Then at a nod from -the captain she came up a little, till she quartered the sea with -very little way on her. - -"Now, Mr. Humphries," said the skipper. In ten seconds they hit the -water fair and the hooks disengaged. The oil that was being poured -over on the weather quarter helped them for a moment, and even when -they got beyond its immediate influence they kept some of the lee of -the ship. They drifted down upon the wreck, and rode the seas by -pulling ahead or giving her sternway till they were within half a -cable's length of the doomed vessel. At that moment they fired the -signal-gun on board the _Ullswater_, and they saw some of the poor -chaps to loo'ard of them show their heads above the rail. Then the -full sweep of the storm struck them. But the liar of the -_Ullswater_, who had saved more crews in worse circumstances than he -could count, actually whistled as he sat in the stern-sheets with a -steering oar in his hands. To handle a boat in a heavy sea, with the -wind blowing a real gale, is a thing that mighty few deepwater seamen -are good at. But the skipper of the _Ullswater_ knew his business -even then as if he had been a Deal puntman, a North Sea trawler, or a -Grand Bank fisherman all his life. The boat in which he made his -desperate and humane venture was double-ended like a whale-boat, and -she rode the seas for the most part like a cork. In such a situation -the great thing is to avoid a sea breaking inboard, and sometimes -they pulled ahead, and sometimes backed astern, so that when a heavy -sea did break it did so to windward or to loo'ard of them. And yet a -hundred times in the dreadful full minutes that it took them to get -down to the wreck there were moments when those in the boat and those -in the _Ullswater_ thought that it was all over with them. Once a -sea that no one could have avoided broke over them, and it was -desperate work to bale her out. And the roar of the wind deafened -them; the seas raced and hissed; they pulled or backed water with -their teeth clenched. Some of them thought of nothing; others were -sorry they had volunteered, and looked at the captain furiously while -he whistled through his clenched teeth. One cockney swore at him -horribly in a thin piping scream, and called him horrid names. For -this is the strange nature of man. But he pulled as well as the -others, and the skipper smiled at him as his blasphemies cut the -wind. For the skipper saw a head over the rail of the wreck, and he -knew that there was work to be done and that he was doing it, and -that the brave fool that cursed him was a man and was doing his best. -The words he spoke were such as come out of a desperate mind, and out -of a man that can do things. They towed an oil-bag to windward, but -there was no oil to calm the movements of the soul at such a time. - -"Oh, damn you, pull!" said Amos Brown. He ceased to whistle, and -cursed with a sudden and tremendous frenzy that was appalling. The -cursing cockney looked up at him with open mouth. - -By the 'old man's' side in the stern-sheets there was a coil of rope -attached to a little grapnel. If the men still alive on board the -French barque were capable of motion they might be able to make a -rope fast, but after hours of such a storm, while they were lashed -under the weather bulwarks, it was possible that they were almost -numb and helpless. Now the boat came sweeping down by the stern of -the barque; they saw her smashed rudder beating to and fro, and heard -the battering-ram of the south-west seas strike on her weather side. - -"Back water!" roared the skipper, for astern of them a big sea roared -and began to lift a dreadful lip. They held the boat, and the 'old -man' kept it straight on the roaring crest, and at that moment they -were lifted high, and saw beyond the hull of the barque the white -waste of driven seas. Then they went down, down, down; and when they -were flung up again the skipper screamed to those on board, and as he -screamed he threw the grapnel at the gear of the spanker, and as they -surged past her stern the hooks caught in the bight of her loosened -vangs. For all her gear was in a coil and tangle, and the topping -lifts of the gaff had parted. The men backed water hard, and the -boat hung half in the lee of the wreck, but dangerously near the -wreck of the mizzen-topmast, which had gone at the cap and swayed in -the swash of the seas. Now they saw the seamen whom they had come to -save, and no man of the boat's crew could hereafter agree as to what -happened or the order of events. The skipper called to the poor -wretches, and one cut himself adrift and slid down the sloping deck -and struck the lower rail with horrible force. They heard him -squeal, and then a sea washed him over to them. He was insensible, -and that was lucky, for his leg was broken. Then they made out that -one of the survivors was the captain, and they saw that he was -speaking, though they heard nothing. There were, it seemed, no more -than ten of the crew left, for they counted ten with the one man that -they had. But it seemed that they moved slow, and the sea was worse -than ever. It boiled over the weather-rail and then came over green, -and all the men in the boats yelled filthy oaths at the poor numb -wretches, and called them horrible names. The Irishman prayed aloud -to heaven and to all the saints and to the Virgin, and then cursed so -awfully that the others fell into silence. - -"Jump, jump!" screamed the skipper, and another man slid down the -deck and came overboard for them. He went under, and got his head -cut open on a swaying block, and knew nothing of it till he was -dragged on board. Then he wiped the blood from his eyes and fell to -weeping, whereon the swearing cockney, who had been oddly silent -since his eyes had met the skipper's, cuffed him hard on the side of -the head, and said, "'Old your bloody row, you bleedin' 'owler!" And -then three of his mates laughed as they watched their boat and fended -if off the wreck of the mizzen-mast with deadly and preoccupied -energy. The cockney took out a foul handkerchief and dabbed it on -the bleeding man's head, and then threw the rag at him with an oath, -saying that a little blood was nothing, and that he was a blasted -Dago, and, further, he'd feel sorry for him when he was on board the -_Ullswater_. Then another man jumped and was swept under and past -them, and just as he was going the skipper reached over and, grabbing -him by the hair, got him on board in a state of unconsciousness. -Then three of the poor fellows jumped at once, two being saved and -the third never showing above the water again. - -"As well now as wiv the rest of hus," said the cockney, who had give -the Dago his 'wipe,' and he snivelled a little. "Hif I gets hout of -this I'm for stayin' in Rovver'ive all the rest of my life." - -Then they got another, and there were only the French skipper and one -more man left. It was probably his mate, but he had a broken arm and -moved slow. The French captain got a rope round him and slid him -down to loo'ard. But when he was half-way down the old chap (he was -at anyrate white-haired) lost his own hold, and came down into the -swash of the lee scuppers with a run. He fell overboard, and the -Irishman got him by the collar. He was lugged on board with -difficulty, and lay down on the bottom boards absolutely done for. -The other man didn't show up, and the men said that he must be dead. -They began talking all at once, and the skipper, who was now up at -the bows of the boat, turned suddenly and cuffed the Irishman hard, -whereupon Mike drew his sheath-knife, saying in a squeal, "You swine, -I'll kill you!" But the bo'son struck him with the loom of his oar -under the jaw, and nearly broke it. He snatched his knife from him -and threw it overboard. - -Now they saw the _Ullswater_ right to windward of the sinking barque, -and some oil that they poured into the sea came down to them, so that -the hiss of the sea was so much less that it seemed as if silence -fell on them. They heard the Irishman say with difficulty as he held -his jaw-- - -"All right, my puggy, I'll have your blood." - -He had lost his oar, and the other men were wild with him. What they -might have said no one knows, but the skipper turned to them, saying -that he would go on board after the last man. They all said at once -that he shouldn't. They gave him orders not to do it, and their eyes -were wild and fierce, for they were strained and tired, and fear got -hold of them, making them feel chilly in the fierce wind. They clung -to the captain in their minds. If he did not come back they would -never be saved, for now the boat was heavily laden. They opened -their mouths and said 'Oh, please, sir,' and then he jumped overboard -and went hand over hand along the grapnel line and the tangle of the -vangs. They groaned, and the Irishman wagged his head savagely, -though no one knew what he meant, least of all himself. They saw the -'old man' clamber on board as a big sea broke over her, and they lost -sight of him in the smother of it. They sat in the heaving boat as -if they were turned into stone, and then the Irishman saw something -in the sea and grabbed for it. He hauled hard, and they cried out -that the skipper mustn't try it again. But as the drowning man came -to the surface they saw that it was not the skipper after all, but -the French mate, and they said 'Oh, hell!' being of half a mind to -let him go. But the bo'son screamed out something, and they hung on -to a dead man's legs, for to the dead man's hands the skipper was -clinging. They got him on board not quite insensible, and the -Irishman fell to weeping over him. - -"Oh, it's the brave bhoy you are," he said; and then the skipper came -to and vomited some water. - -"Hold on, what are you doin'?" he asked, as he saw the two cockneys -trying to heave the dead man back in the sea. They said that he was -dead. The bo'son said that the deader had only half a head, and -couldn't be alive in that condition. So they let the body go, and -the skipper woke right up and was a man again. They hauled up to the -grapnel or near it, for they were strained enough to do foolish -things. Then they saw it was silly and cut the line. They drifted -to loo'ard fast, and got out into the full force of the gale, which -howled horribly. They saw the _Ullswater_ lying to under her sturdy -old maintop-sail, and as soon as they saw her they were seen by the -second mate, who was up aloft with his coat half torn off him. To -get her off before the wind quick they showed the head of the -foretopmast-staysail, which was promptly blown out of the bolt ropes -with a report they heard in the boat like the dull sound of a far-off -gun. She squared away and came to the nor'-east, and presently was -to windward of them, and in her lee they felt very warm and almost -safe, though they went up to the sky like a lark and then down as if -into a grave. And then they saw their shipmates' faces, and the -skipper laughed oddly. The strain had told on him, as it had on all -of them, not least perhaps on some of those who had not faced the -greater risks. And it seemed to the skipper that there was something -very absurd in Wardle's whiskers as the wind caught them and wrapped -them in a kind of hairy smear across one weather-beaten cheek. All -those in the boat were now quite calm; the excitement was on board -the _Ullswater_, and when the gale let them catch a word of what the -mate said, as he stood on the rail with his arm about a backstay, -they caught the quality of strain. - -"Ould Wardle is as fidgety as a fool," said Mike the Irishman, as he -still held on to his jaw. "He'll be givin' someone the oncivil word -for knockin' the oar out o' me hand." - -He sat with one hand to his face, with the other, as he had turned -round, he helped the bo'son. - -"What about your pullin' your knife on the captain?" asked the bo'son. - -Then Micky shook his head. - -"Did I now? And he struck me, and he's a brave lad," he said simply. -But the hook of the davit tackle dangled overhead as they were flung -skyward on a sea. There were davit ropes fitted, and one slapped the -Irishman across the face. - -"It's in the wars I am," he said; and then there was a wind flurry -that bore the _Ullswater_ almost over on them. The way was nearly -off her, and in another minute she would be drifting and coming down -on them. - -"Now!" screamed the skipper, and they hooked on and were hauled out -and up. - -"Holy Mother," said Mike, "and I'm not drowned this trip!" - -The boat was hauled on board, and when the skipper's foot touched the -deck he reeled. Humphries caught him. - -"Oh, steady, sir," said Humphries, as Mike came up to them. - -The captain stared at him, for he did not remember striking him. - -"It's the brrave man you are," said Mike simply; "and you're the -firrst man that I've tuk a blow from since I was the length of my -arm. Oh, bhoys, it's the brrave man the skipper is." - -The second mate pushed him away, and he went like a child and lent a -hand to help the poor 'divils of Dagoes,' as he called those who had -been saved. The mate came and shook hands with the captain. The -tears ran down Wardle's hairy face, and he could not speak. - -"I shall have another pair of binoculars over this," said Captain -Amos Brown with quivering lips. - -"You are a hero," bawled the mate as the wind roared again in a -blinding squall with rain in it. The skipper flushed. - -"Oh, it's nothin', this," he said. "Now in the Bay of Bengal----" - -The wind took that story to loo'ard, and no one heard it. But they -heard him wind up with 'gold-mounted binoculars.' - -* * * * * * * - -A year later he got a pair from the great French Republic. They were -the first he ever got. - - - -THE END - - - -_Printed by_ MORRISON & GIBB LIMITED, _Edinburgh_ - - - - - - - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BLUE PETER *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: The Blue Peter</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:0; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1em;'>Sea comedies</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Morley Roberts</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: August 20, 2022 [eBook #68796]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: Al Haines</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BLUE PETER ***</div> - -<h1> -<br /><br /> - THE BLUE PETER<br /> -</h1> - -<p class="t2"> - SEA COMEDIES<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> - BY<br /> -</p> - -<p class="t2"> - MORLEY ROBERTS<br /> -</p> - -<p class="t4"> - AUTHOR OF "THE PROMOTION OF THE ADMIRAL"<br /> - "CAPTAIN BALAAM OF THE 'CORMORANT'" ETC.<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> - LONDON<br /> - EVELEIGH NASH<br /> - 1906<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> - INSCRIBED AFFECTIONATELY<br /> - TO<br /> - MY FATHER<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="t3b"> -CONTENTS -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -I. <a href="#chap01">THE EXTRA HANDS OF THE <i>NEMESIS</i></a> -</p> - -<p> -II. <a href="#chap02">THE STRANGE SITUATION OF CAPTAIN BROGGER</a> -</p> - -<p> -III. <a href="#chap03">THE OVERCROWDED ICEBERG</a> -</p> - -<p> -IV. <a href="#chap04">THE REMARKABLE CONVERSION OF THE REV. T. RUDDLE</a> -</p> - -<p> -V. <a href="#chap05">THE CAPTAIN OF THE <i>ULLSWATER</i></a> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap01"></a></p> - -<h3> -THE EXTRA HANDS OF THE <i>NEMESIS</i> -</h3> - -<p> -The steamship <i>Nemesis</i>, of two thousand five -hundred and fifty tons register, and belonging -to the port of London, had nearly finished her -loading one foggy afternoon in a foggy November. -She was at Tilbury, taking in a general cargo -for Capetown and Australian ports, and as the -last few cases were coming on board the skipper -came on board too by way of the big gangway, -close by which the second mate was standing. -</p> - -<p> -"Is that the last of it?" asked the 'old man' -gloomily. -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, sir," said Mr. Cade with equal gloominess. -When a man is second mate at the age -of fifty it is not surprising that he should be sulky. -</p> - -<p> -"And it is time it was, for we're well down to -our mark, and no mistake about it, sir." -</p> - -<p> -Captain Jordan said nothing, but walked -for'ard to his cabin and sat down wearily. He -threw a bundle of papers on his table, and filling -his pipe smoked for a few minutes. He was a -fine handsome white-headed man of some fifty-two -years, and had once been ambitious. Now -he worked for Messrs. Gruddle, Shody, & Co., -and, as all seamen knew, to work for them was -to have lost all chances that following the sea -affords even in these days. -</p> - -<p> -"The swine," said old Jordan to himself, "oh, -the swine that they are! I wish I could get -even with them. If I could do that I could die -happy. They are charitable, are they? Curse -their charity! Ah, if I hadn't been so unlucky -in my last employ." -</p> - -<p> -But that was it. He had been in the employ -of a good firm with one bitterly unjust regulation. -Any skipper of theirs who lost a ship, even -through no fault of his own, had to go, and, -though he had worked for them for twenty -years, that was his fate when he piled up the -<i>Grimshaw Hall</i> on the Manacles. -</p> - -<p> -"And that's how they got me cheap," said -Jordan. "And because poor Cade lost his master's -certificate through an error of judgment they -have him cheap, and they have my old chum -Thripp cheap in the same way. Oh, they are -a precious lot of swine, and I wish I had 'em -here with me when we are out at sea. I'd tell -'em what I think of 'em, if I got the sack right -off and had to ship before the mast." -</p> - -<p> -Thripp the mate came by the cabin, and the -skipper called to him. -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, sir," said Thripp. -</p> - -<p> -"Come in a moment," said Jordan. "I've -something to tell you, something that will cheer -you up and make you like the firm better than -ever." -</p> - -<p> -Thripp was also as grey as a badger, but not -through age. He, too, had been a master mariner, -and had lost his first and only command by -running her against an iceberg in a fog. He -had had orders to make a passage at all costs, -but those orders were verbal, and his owners -showed in court printed instructions that bade -all their employees use extra caution in time -of fog, even if a slow passage were the result. -Therefore Messrs. Gruddle, Shody, & Co. got -him cheap too. -</p> - -<p> -"What's their charity now?" asked Thripp -scornfully. -</p> - -<p> -"It begins at home as usual," replied the -skipper. "They have cut you and me down -thirty bob a month and Cade a quid." -</p> - -<p> -Thripp sighed, and then swore. -</p> - -<p> -"Well, we have both had our certificates -suspended," said Jordan bitterly, "so what can -we expect? Men like us are every owner's -dogs, and they know it. I'm half a mind to quit." -</p> - -<p> -"I've got a wife," said Thripp, "and I can't -put the poor old girl in the workhouse." -</p> - -<p> -Jordan had never been married, and was glad -of it now. -</p> - -<p> -"I once had a chance to marry a lady with -ships of her own," he said thoughtfully, "and -I was fool enough to prefer to run alone. But -it is wonderful how fond that woman was of me, -Thripp. She proposed to me three times." -</p> - -<p> -"You don't say so," said Thripp. -</p> - -<p> -"Fact, I assure you," replied Jordan. "She -was as ugly as a freak, and fat enough to make -a livin' in a show, so I couldn't do it, you -see. -</p> - -<p> -"I see," sighed Thripp, "but it was a pity." -</p> - -<p> -"An awful pity," said the skipper. "And -even now she ain't forgot me, though it is ten -years ago and more since we first met. Every -Christmas she sends me a puddin' and a bottle -of rum that would make your hair curl, ninety -over proof at least, and with the aroma of a -West Injies sugar plantation. I wonder if she -has any sort of a notion how I've come down in -life so as to be at the mercy of a Jew like Gruddle." -</p> - -<p> -Cade came along and reported that the very -last of the cargo was in and that the hatches -were on. Jordan called him in and gave him a tot -of whisky, and broke the news to him that his -wages had had another cut. But the second -mate said nothing at all. He shook his head -and went out. -</p> - -<p> -"His spirit is broke," said Jordan gloomily. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, no," said Thripp, "it's only that he -hasn't the words, poor chap. Well, it ain't -any wonder. I haven't any myself. But if I ran -across Gruddle my opinion is that I should find -'em in spite of my bein' a married man." -</p> - -<p> -"Last week they was talkin' of comin' along -with us as far as Gib," said Jordan. "They are -mighty proud of this steamer that I know they -got by fraud and diddlin' out of Johns and -Mackie. Oh, they are very proud of her, and they -see money in her." -</p> - -<p> -"If they had come," said Thripp savagely, -"I should have said something or bust." -</p> - -<p> -"Better to bust, I suppose," replied the -skipper, "though I own that if I knew they was -comin' with us I should be tempted to say a -lot that's now inside me boilin'. I wish they was, -I own it. I own it freely, even if I got the sack." -</p> - -<p> -He relapsed on the ship's papers, and Thripp -went out to attend to the duties of a conscientious -mate on the eve of going to sea. He passed a -telegraph boy on the main-deck and directed -the lad to the captain's cabin. Destiny in a -uniform thanked him and whistled. When he -had found the skipper and old Jordan had read -the message he was the one who whistled. But -he did not do so from want of thought by any -means. He looked as savage as a trapped -weasel, and as black as a nigger on a dark night. -</p> - -<p> -"Well, I'm damned," said Jordan, "so they -are goin' to do it after all! And I don't know -that I wish it now!" -</p> - -<p> -He whistled again and rang the bell for the -steward, who was another of the firm's cheap -bargains. He had been in prison, in company -with a former captain of his, for disposing of -stores in foreign parts and feeding the crew on -something that the illicit purchaser threw into -the bargain. He was now trying to regain his -lost reputation at the wages of an ordinary -seaman. -</p> - -<p> -"Steward," said the skipper, "I want you -to read this telegram and arrange for it as best -you can. They will be with us for six days or -thereabouts." -</p> - -<p> -For the wire was from Mr. Gruddle, and it -stated that the four partners were going with -them as far as Gibraltar. -</p> - -<p> -"Shall we 'ave to get in anythin' special for -them in the way of provisions, sir?" asked -the steward. -</p> - -<p> -The 'old man' scratched his head and said -that he thought so. -</p> - -<p> -"As you know, Smith, what we have to eat -is horrid bad," he said thoughtfully. -</p> - -<p> -"It is, sir," replied Smith. "It ain't fit for -pigs." -</p> - -<p> -Jordan stood thinking for a minute. Then -he turned to Smith. -</p> - -<p> -"On the whole, Smith, I think I'd get nothing. -I'd like 'em to see the kind of stuff they buy -for us. Perhaps it will do them good. It -don't do us any. Get nothin', Smith." -</p> - -<p> -"Very well, sir," said the steward with a -grin. He turned to go, and Jordan stopped -him. -</p> - -<p> -"I suppose, Smith, that some of the grub is -worse than the rest?" he asked. -</p> - -<p> -"Lord bless you, sir, the men's grub is fair -poison." -</p> - -<p> -"Is it now?" said the skipper. "Do you -know, Smith, I think we'll eat what the men -do for the passage as far as Gibraltar. I'll speak -to Mr. Thripp and Mr. Cade, and I daresay -they won't mind just for a little while." -</p> - -<p> -"I could put you and them somethin' better -in your cabin, sir, if the other made you very -sick," suggested Smith. -</p> - -<p> -"So you could. To be sure you could," said -Jordan. "That's a very good idea of yours, -Smith. But fix up their berths. They will be -aboard to-morrow mornin'." -</p> - -<p> -He broke the news to the mates that the -whole firm was coming on a little trip with -them, and when he asked them if they had -any objection to the fare that Smith proposed -to give them for those few days they said they -would be glad to see it on the table. They -thought almost happily of the face that Gruddle -would put on when he saw the measly and -forbidden pork. They had visions of Shody, -who was a wholesale grocer as well as a -ship-owner, when he sampled the stores that he -supplied the firm with. They smiled to think -of Sloggett and Butterworth, the junior partners, -who promised to be quite as bad as their elders -by and by, and were known to be fond of high -feeding. The only mistake they fell into about -the whole body of the firm was that they took -them for fools who did not know what sort of -food they gave their officers and crews. For -next morning at nine o'clock a number of -fascinating-looking cases were brought on board, on -which was the name of a well-known provision -merchant. And with the cases which obviously -contained provisions there were some which -quite as obviously held champagne. The 'old -man' and the two mates looked at this -consignment and their jaws dropped. -</p> - -<p> -"Our scheme ain't worth a cent," said Jordan -sadly. -</p> - -<p> -"It might be worse, though," said Thripp; -"we'll get some of this lot, of course." -</p> - -<p> -"Do you think so?" asked Jordan sadly. -</p> - -<p> -"Of course I do," said Thripp indignantly. -"Whatever kind of swabs they are, they ain't -surely so measly as to grub on this in our very -presence and see us eat the other muck?" -</p> - -<p> -The skipper smiled a slow and bitter smile. -</p> - -<p> -"Thripp, you are a good seaman, but as a -judge of humanity you ain't in it with Cade. -All you and me will get of this lot will be the -smell of it." -</p> - -<p> -An hour later the owners came on board, -and were received with the humility due to -such great men, who owned ships and shops and -had houses in Croyden, and reputations which -smelt in heaven like a tallow refining factory. -The very deck hands who brought their luggage -on board cursed them under their breath, and -would have been glad to do it openly. Then -as the tide served the <i>Nemesis</i> cast off from the -wharf and made her way out into the stream, -and started on her most memorable trip. If -all the folks connected with the sea who knew -the character of the men who owned her had -also known that they were on board, and what -was going to happen before they got back to -England again, she and they would have got -a more lively send-off than she did get. -</p> - -<p> -The partners were in a very happy frame -of mind, and showed it. They had got hold -of the <i>Nemesis</i> cheap and were going to make -money out of her. They had their officers and -crew on the cheap as well, and it warmed their -hearts to think of the price that they had -provisioned her at in these hard times. Everything -on board the <i>Nemesis</i> was cheap except the -grub they had sent on board for their own use, -and even that had been paid for by a creditor -as a means of getting the firm to renew a bill. -It was quite certain the firm knew their way -about the dark alleys of this world. Gruddle -had a cent.-per-cent. grin on his oily face, and -fat Shody smiled like a hyena out on a holiday, -and the two more gentlemanly-looking members -of the firm laughed jovially. -</p> - -<p> -"It's a great idea this," said Sloggett. "We're -going to 'ave an ideal 'oliday and pay nothin' -for it, and when we get to Gibraltar we will -put the screw on Garcia & Co. and show them -that we are not to be played with. Oh, this -was a good idea of yours, Butterworth, and I -congratulate you on it." -</p> - -<p> -They were shown their berths by the scared -and obsequious steward, and they changed -their frock-coats and high hats, without which -they could not move a step, and put on more -suitable garments. Gruddle, for instance, put -on patent leather shoes and spats, which with -black trousers and a loud check coat looked -exceedingly striking. He wore a Royal Yacht -Squadron cap, which he had as much right to -as a Field Marshal's uniform. It suited his -style of Oriental beauty as much as that would -have done, and he went on deck as pleased as -Punch. He felt every inch a sailor. The others -followed him, and were almost as remarkable -to look at in their own way. Shody, who was -a very fat man, was in knickerbockers and -shooting-boots, and wore a fur-lined overcoat; -while Sloggett was adorned, in a new yachtsman's -rig-out which made him look like a pallid -shop-walker. Butterworth was the only one who -stuck to ordinary clothes, and, as a consequence, -he looked like a gentleman beside the others. -It was an illusion, of course, for he wasn't a -gentleman by any means. On the contrary, -he was a member of the firm, and a rising man -in that branch of the shipping world which -makes its money out of sinking ships. -</p> - -<p> -"'Ow long will it be before we are in fine -weather?" he asked, as he stared at the docks -and warehouses. But no one knew, and just -then there was no one to ask, for all the officers -had their hands full. The river was thick -with traffic, and there was enough mist on the -water to make navigation a little risky. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, give me sunlight," said Gruddle. "When -the sun shines I'm almost as happy as when -I turn a loss into a profit by attention to -details." -</p> - -<p> -His partners laughed. -</p> - -<p> -"There is nothing like an 'oliday on the cheap, -with a free mind," said Shody. "I likes an -'oliday, I own, but when it costs me money I -ain't as 'appy as when it costs someone else -money." -</p> - -<p> -"There is one thing about this vessel that -fills me with a just pride," said Gruddle, "and -that is that her wages bill per month is prob'ly -thirty-three and a third per cent. under that -of any vessel of hequal tonnage sailin' out of -London this day. And it's done without meanness -too, all on account of my notion of givin' -work to the unfortunate at a trifle under current -rates. This is the only firm in London that -can be charitable, and 'ave the name for it, and -make money out of it." -</p> - -<p> -They said that was so, and they discussed -the officers. -</p> - -<p> -"All good men, if a trifle unfortunate," said -Shody. "A year ago who would 'ave believed -that we could 'ave got a man like Jordan for -what we pay 'im? The very hidea would 'ave -been laughed at. But he 'as an accident that -wasn't 'is fault, and down comes 'is price, and -we nip in and get a real good man cheap as dirt, -and keep 'im off of the streets so to speak. Oh, -Gruddle, it was a great idea of yours; and to -give that poor unfort'nit steward a job when 'e -came out of chokey was real noble of you." -</p> - -<p> -"So it was," said Gruddle, "but I was always -soft-'earted if I didn't lose money by it." -</p> - -<p> -"So you were," said Shody warmly. "Do -you remember 'ow you gave poor Jenkins time -to borrow money of his relatives w'en by all -rights you ought to 'ave given 'im into charge, -and 'e would 'ave got ten years as safe as a bill -of Rothschild's?" -</p> - -<p> -In such reminiscences of the firm's noble -efforts on the part of suffering and erring humanity -they passed an agreeable hour, and then went -below and cracked a bottle of champagne. Soon -afterwards it was time for lunch, and Butterworth -saw to the arrangements of their special -table, and got things out to be cooked. The -skipper came down for a moment while they -were eating, and Gruddle called him over to -their table. -</p> - -<p> -"Will you 'ave a glass of champagne, captain?" -he asked. -</p> - -<p> -"With pleasure, sir," said the white-headed -old skipper, who looked like a thoroughbred -beside any one of them. -</p> - -<p> -"Ah, I thought you would," said Gruddle -warmly. "I reckon you 'ave not tasted it since -you wrecked the <i>Grimshaw 'All</i> on the Manacles, -captain. And don't you forget that if you -wrecks the <i>Nemesis</i> you won't taste much but -skilly and water for the rest of your life. Pour -'im out a glass, Sloggett, if you can spare it." -</p> - -<p> -Jordan drank the wine, and it nearly choked -him. When he got out of their sight he spat -on the deck, and went upon the bridge alongside -the pilot shivering. His hands were clenched -and he was almost sick with rage. -</p> - -<p> -The mud-pilot saw that there was something -wrong. -</p> - -<p> -"Are you ill, captain?" he asked. -</p> - -<p> -"I've 'ad a blow," said the old skipper, "I've -'ad a blow." -</p> - -<p> -The pilot thought he had had bad news, and -was sorry for him. -</p> - -<p> -"No, not bad news," said poor old Jordan. -"It ain't no news to me. Somebody said somethin' -that puts things in a new light to me." -</p> - -<p> -He chewed the cud of unutterable bitterness -and wished he was dead. He did not go below -again till they were well in the Channel, and he -ate no supper. He could not get it down. He -sent for Thripp to his cabin, and burst out on -the mate with the intolerable insults that he -had had to put up with. -</p> - -<p> -"We're their dogs," said Thripp bitterly; "but -if I am married I'll not put up with much, sir. -They're half drunk by now, and are playin' cards -and drinkin' more, and Dixon is cryin' in his -pantry because one of 'em started bullyin' -him about something, and said that he was a -hard bargain at any price." -</p> - -<p> -"I wish I could get even, oh, I do wish it," -said old Jordan. "Did you ever hear of such -mean dogs in all your life?" -</p> - -<p> -"Only in books, sir," said the mate thoughtfully. -"I recollect in some book readin' about -a man like Gruddle, but I forget what book it -was. But I do remember that someone knocked -the man down that was as bad as Gruddle. I -enjoyed that book amazin'ly, sir." -</p> - -<p> -"I wish you knew the name of it," said the -skipper. "But if I 'ad as much money laid -by as would bring me in fifteen shillin's a week -I'd show you something better than anythin' -you ever read in a book, Thripp. You mark -my words, I would." -</p> - -<p> -"What would you show me, sir?" asked the -mate eagerly. -</p> - -<p> -But old Jordan sighed. -</p> - -<p> -"What's the good of thinking of pure enjoyment -when one ain't in the least likely to get -the chance of havin' it? We must put up -with 'em, Thripp. After all it's only to Gibraltar, -and after that we are by ourselves. I hope I -shan't explode before then." -</p> - -<p> -And Thripp went away to talk to the engineer, -and to try to remember the name of the book -in which someone got his deserts. While he -was doing that the partners played cards and -drank more than was good for them, and -thoroughly enjoyed themselves. They told -Thripp, when he came below, that the whole ship -was disgracefully dirty, and that if he wanted -to keep his job he had better see to it at once. -As they screwed him down on paint and all -stores necessary to prevent a vessel looking -as bad as a house in Chancery, this naturally -did not cheer him up. Dixon was really in -tears because Gruddle swore at him in the -most horrid way without any reason, except -that he had sworn at Shody and had got the -worst of it. Cade accidentally ran into -Butterworth, who was sneaking round to see if he -could find anything to complain about, and -Butterworth promptly said he was a clumsy -hound. According to Jordan, Cade's spirit was -broken, but this was more than he could stand -even from one of the owners. He told Butterworth -to go where it was a deal hotter than -the Red Sea in July. He did not use any -circumlocution about it either, and Butterworth -was in a fury. He complained to the skipper, -and Jordan had the greatest difficulty in refraining -from endorsing Cade's hasty recommendation -of a suitable climate for the junior partner. -But he did refrain. -</p> - -<p> -"I am very sorry that he should have so -far forgotten himself," said Jordan. "I will -speak to him at once." -</p> - -<p> -"The insolent fool must apologise," said -Butterworth; and Jordan said that Mr. Cade -would undoubtedly see that that was his duty. -He called for Cade, and Cade's spirit seemed -to have quite bucked up. He flatly declined -to apologise unless Mr. Butterworth first did -so for 'calling him out of his name.' -</p> - -<p> -"He said I was a clumsy hound," said Cade. -</p> - -<p> -"So you are," said Butterworth, "and I say -it again." -</p> - -<p> -"Do you hear that, Captain Jordan?" asked -Cade. "Is an officer in this vessel or in any -other to be spoke to like that before the men? -Before I'll apologise I'll see that sailor-robber -in hell, sir." -</p> - -<p> -The poor skipper danced in his anxiety to -preserve the peace. -</p> - -<p> -"Mr. Cade, you mustn't. I order you to -hold your tongue, sir. Go to your cabin, sir, -and after some reflection I am sure you will -offer an apology to Mr. Butterworth." -</p> - -<p> -"I'll see him damned first," said Cade as he -marched off. -</p> - -<p> -"I sack you! I discharge you!" roared Butterworth, -who was in a blind fury. -</p> - -<p> -"Discharge your grandmother," said Cade -discourteously. "You can't do it. I'm on the -ship's papers. And who are you, anyhow?" -</p> - -<p> -The owners held a consultation in the cabin -when Butterworth came below with his story of -the second mate's insolence and insubordination. -</p> - -<p> -"Let us be clear as to 'ow it occurred," said -Gruddle. "Now, Butterworth, tell us what -it was." -</p> - -<p> -"He ran against me, and I remonstrated, -and he told me to go to hell," said the fuming -Butterworth. -</p> - -<p> -"That ith very bad, very 'ighly improper," -said Gruddle. "But 'ow did you remonstrate? -Did you 'it 'im?" -</p> - -<p> -"Certainly not," said the junior partner -warmly, "all I said was that he was clumsy." -</p> - -<p> -Shody and Sloggett said that Cade must be -sacked at once, or at least as soon as they got -to Gibraltar. Gruddle, who knew a deal more -than they did about most things in the way of -the law and business, shook his head. -</p> - -<p> -"It will sound very queer to you," said Gruddle, -"but the truth of the matter ith that I don't -think we can thack 'im. The man 'ath a contract -for the voyage, and the only one that can -thack 'im ith the captain." -</p> - -<p> -The rest said this was absurd. Were they not -the owners, and could they not do as they pleased -with every man-jack on board? And even if -Gruddle was right, they could tell the captain to -dump Cade over the side at Gibraltar. -</p> - -<p> -"Well, of course we can do that," said Gruddle. -</p> - -<p> -"And we will," said the outraged Butterworth. -"I think we had better 'ave Jordan in now and -tell 'im what to do." -</p> - -<p> -They sent for the skipper, and the poor old -chap came down and stood up before them. -With his big white beard and his ruddy handsome -face he looked like a captive Viking before -a tribunal of tradesmen. -</p> - -<p> -"This 'ere conduct of the second mate is -what we've called you down about," said Gruddle. -"'E was very rude to Mr. Butterworth; told 'im, -in fact, to go to 'ell, w'ich can't be put up with." -</p> - -<p> -"And ain't goin' to be," said the offended -partner. "We 'ave sacked 'im, and 'e must be -sent ashore at Gibraltar and another one found." -</p> - -<p> -Jordan had the very strongest inclination -to tell Butterworth exactly what Cade had told -him. But he restrained himself, and suggested -to them that it would probably take some time -to pick up a new second mate at Gib, -whereas they had arranged not to enter but -to signal for a boat for them to go ashore in. -It was Shody who saw the way out and brought -them all to grief. -</p> - -<p> -"Cade can come ashore with us," he said -with a fat and happy smile, "and you needn't -wait to get another man in 'is place, captain. -I always understood that the second mate was -on'y a kind of deputy for the skipper, and I -see no reason w'y 'e couldn't be done without -altogether." -</p> - -<p> -"That's a very good idea of yours, Shody," -said Sloggett and Butterworth in the same breath, -"and I daresay the captain will see that it is." -</p> - -<p> -But Jordan was breathless with indignation. -Shody spoke for him. -</p> - -<p> -"I always did think," said Shody, "that the -captain of any vessel 'ad much too easy a time -of it. I don't see no reason why 'e shouldn't -stand his watch same as the mate. The captain's -job is an easy one and a well paid one. I should -say it was an overpaid one. 'Avin' a second -mate is like 'avin' a fifth wheel to a coach, and -the job should be abolished. This is a good -chance of inauguratin' an entirely new system, -and a reform that will save money." -</p> - -<p> -The only one of them who thought this was -going too far was Gruddle, and he did not care -to look Jordan in the face. When he did look -at the captain it was because he had to, and -because Jordan demanded it. The old man's -face was livid with rage, and he struck the table -a resounding blow that made the glasses dance. -The partners shrank back from him as if he was -a wild elephant, and Gruddle went as white -as the skipper's beard. -</p> - -<p> -"You infernal hogs," said the skipper, "you -infernal hogs, I'm sorry I ever saw one of you! -You are a disgrace to the name of Englishmen, -and—and I despise you!" -</p> - -<p> -He looked as if he did; there was no mistake -about that, and he also looked as if he was about -to assault the whole gang of them. The two -junior partners jumped to their feet not so -much to be prepared to defend themselves as -to run away. Jordan might be somewhat past -his best, but he was still as strong as a bull and -as big as any two of them in spite of Shody's -fat. He was distinctly dangerous. -</p> - -<p> -"'Ow, 'ow dare you on our ship?" asked -Shody with a poor attempt at dignity. -"Partners, our kindness 'as been throwed away, -bestowed on an hunworthy hobject." -</p> - -<p> -"Shut up, or I'll make you," roared the old -skipper. "I won't be spoke to by a lot of hogs -such as you, with your talk of charity and your -beastly manners. You can sack me if you like, -but you don't sack the second mate while I am -captain of this vessel, so I tell you." -</p> - -<p> -"We—we discharge you," said Butterworth -furiously. "We discharge him, don't we?" -</p> - -<p> -They said that they did, and for a second the -skipper was about to take his dismissal lying -down. But the next moment he refused to do -anything of the sort. He saw the strength of -his position where they naturally only saw his -weakness. He laughed a little angrily, but still -he laughed, and the sound outraged the firm. -</p> - -<p> -"You will laugh on the wrong side of your -face when you are on the street," said Shody. -And just then Jordan heard Cade enter his -cabin. He laughed again, this time much more -naturally, and called to the second mate. He -came in looking as black as a thundercloud. -</p> - -<p> -"Mr. Cade," said the skipper in almost his -usual mild tone of voice. -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, sir," replied Cade. -</p> - -<p> -"Would you be so good, Mr. Cade, as to tell -me who I am?" -</p> - -<p> -Cade stared, and so did the partners. -</p> - -<p> -"Who you are, sir?" stammered the second -greaser in great amazement. -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, who I am?" repeated the skipper. -</p> - -<p> -"Why, you are Captain Jordan, sir," said -Cade, still out of soundings. -</p> - -<p> -"Of what ship, Mr. Cade?" -</p> - -<p> -"Of this one, sir," replied Cade, who hoped -that the skipper hadn't gone mad. -</p> - -<p> -"Exactly so, Mr. Cade," said the 'old man,' -who had by this time made up his mind to a -very definite course of action. "You hear that, -gentlemen?" -</p> - -<p> -They did hear it, but were not much wiser. -They looked at each other in some amazement. -</p> - -<p> -"What do you mean, you old fool?" asked -Sloggett. But Jordan did not answer him. -He spoke again to Cade. -</p> - -<p> -"And if I am the skipper of this boat," he -went on, "who are these gentlemen who are -givin' me directions to put you ashore at Gib?" -</p> - -<p> -Cade eyed them malevolently, and for the first -time a glimpse of the captain's meaning came -to him. His face lightened, and he smiled grimly. -</p> - -<p> -"Why, they are only passengers," he said. -</p> - -<p> -"Right the very first time," said Jordan with -a pleasant smile; "that is what they are here, -and no mistake about it. And as passengers, -Mr. Cade, what authority have they?" -</p> - -<p> -"Not so much as the cook," said Cade. -</p> - -<p> -The skipper, who had quite recovered his -temper, turned to the partners. -</p> - -<p> -"You hear that, gentlemen?" he asked. -</p> - -<p> -They did hear it, and it sounded very absurd -to all of them but old Gruddle, who did know -something of the ways of the sea and the laws -of it. -</p> - -<p> -"You are an old fool," said Butterworth, -"and when we get to Gibraltar you will find it -out too, quick." -</p> - -<p> -The skipper grinned quite amiably. As he -had now made up his mind, he reverted to the -superiority of tone which had distinguished -him when he was captain of the <i>Grimshaw -Hall</i>. -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, I shall find it out—when I get to -Gibraltar," said Jordan, with ample and deadly -courtesy, and saying that he went out of the -saloon and called Cade to follow him. When -they came out on deck he put his hand on the -second mate's shoulder. -</p> - -<p> -"I ain't goin' to Gibraltar at all, Mr. Cade," -he said with a nod, and Cade gasped. -</p> - -<p> -"Ain't you, sir?" he asked after a long pause -of astonishment. -</p> - -<p> -"Not much, I'm not," said Jordan. "I've -put up with a deal, but I'll show 'em now who's -the boss here. I got orders for Capetown and -Sydney, and if they choose to come on board -as passengers and tell me to go elsewhere I don't -choose to do it, and that is all there is to it. -Damn their eyes!" -</p> - -<p> -"Amen, sir," said Cade. "To think that -Butterworth called me a clumsy hound!" -</p> - -<p> -"He did," said the skipper. "But I'll give -you a chance of gettin' even before you are a -week older. You see if I don't." -</p> - -<p> -And in the cabin the partners were staring at -each other in great surprise. -</p> - -<p> -"This is mutiny," said Sloggett. But Gruddle -growled. -</p> - -<p> -"Don't be an ass, Sloggett," said the senior -partner. "'Ow can a captain be guilty of -mutiny? The very idea is absurd." -</p> - -<p> -So it was, of course. -</p> - -<p> -"I don't believe he will go into Gibraltar -at all," said Gruddle with a gasp. "You chaps -'ave put the old chap's back up, and when 'e is -mad 'e's capable of anything." -</p> - -<p> -"He wouldn't dare," said Butterworth. "Do -you mean he will take us on to Capetown?" -</p> - -<p> -"That's what I do mean," sighed the wretched -senior partner, who did not find that he enjoyed -the sea at all. "That is exactly wot I do mean." -</p> - -<p> -"Good Lord," said Shody, "and there ain't -enough decent grub to do more than take us to -Gibraltar." -</p> - -<p> -"This is a very 'orrid situation," said Gruddle, -"and we owes it entirely to you, Butterworth, -for quarrellin' with the second mate. I believe -you done a lot more than call him clumsy. I'll -lay odds you was grossly insultin', as you always -are." -</p> - -<p> -The others turned on Butterworth and said that -they believed it too, and the unhappy Butterworth -acknowledged that he had called Cade a hound. -</p> - -<p> -"I'm right as usual," said Gruddle; "and if -I know my man no apology will do any good. -I can see that they are savage because we cut -down their wages. I've a good mind to raise -'em again till we get a chance to cut 'em down -safely. We was fools to come this 'ere trip, and -we owe it all to Butterworth who suggested it." -</p> - -<p> -Butterworth got it all round, and was in an -extreme state of wretchedness. -</p> - -<p> -"I think that if Butterworth is a gent, as we -are all ready to believe," said Shody, "that 'e -will go at once and apologise to that beast of a -second mate; and we can tell the skipper that we -will raise 'is wages again—till we can sack 'im." -</p> - -<p> -This seemed a very good idea to everyone -but Butterworth. -</p> - -<p> -"I never apologised to anyone, and I ain't -goin' to begin with a man like Cade," said -Butterworth stubbornly. -</p> - -<p> -"You're not a man of business in the least," -said Shody. "I always maintained that we -lose more money by your manners, w'ich are -those of a pig, than we ever gain by your sharp -practice. And now, 'avin' got your partners -into a 'orrid mess with a mad and insubordinate -captain, you are prepared to see them eat -muck on'y fit for sea-goin' folks. The on'y -consolation is that you will 'ave to eat it yourself." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, Butterworth, do apologise," said Gruddle -with tears in his eyes, "do apologise, for if you -eat a little dirt in doin' so it is far better than -eatin' all you will if we continue this 'orrid -and disastrous trip." -</p> - -<p> -The others agreed with Gruddle, and at last -Butterworth was induced to put his pride in his -pocket and try an apology on Cade. -</p> - -<p> -"It won't work, I know it won't work," said the -cause of all their woes. "That Cade 'as a down -on me I know, and 'e isn't a gentleman and won't -take an apology from one. But all the same I'll -try, though I don't see why it should all be put on -me. Men like these officers of ours think a deal more -of a few shillin's a week than a few cross words, -and it was Gruddle who cut down their wages. -I think it is Gruddle who should apologise." -</p> - -<p> -But Gruddle argued that he had not called Cade -a hound, and when Butterworth went off on his -painful errand he turned to the others and said— -</p> - -<p> -"The hidea of Butterworth thinkin' that 'e -is a gentleman!" -</p> - -<p> -They all shook their heads at the idea of -Butterworth doing so, and told each other -stories of his origin in a pawnship in the Borough -Road. -</p> - -<p> -"And 'e 'asn't manners either," sighed Shody. -</p> - -<p> -By this time it was noon, and Cade was on -the bridge, while Thripp was in the skipper's -cabin hearing a fuller account of the row than -Cade had given him. Cade was in no frame -of mind to receive an apology from anyone. -He took things hard, and chewed over them -horribly. -</p> - -<p> -"Hound, clumsy hound, am I?" said Cade -as he paced the bridge with his hands in his -pockets. "I'd like to 'clumsy hound' him. -Clumsy hound, and I didn't knock him down! -Bein' married makes a coward of a man!" -</p> - -<p> -He turned about to find the object of his -wrath on the sacred bridge. It made him quite -forget that he was married, and that Mrs. Cade -was hard to deal with if the money was not -forthcoming in due season. He stared at -Butterworth in the most offensive way, and the apology -with which the junior partner was primed stuck -in his throat. -</p> - -<p> -"What the devil do you want here?" asked -Cade savagely. "Don't you know that this -part of the vessel is private? But perhaps -you have come to say that you are sorry for -callin' me out of my name just now, when I -didn't knock you down as I should have done?" -</p> - -<p> -It seemed peculiarly hard lines to Butterworth -that his act of grace was to be discounted in this -way, and as he was not by any means as big -a coward as Gruddle or Shody he fired up at -once. -</p> - -<p> -"I was goin' to apologise, but now I won't, -and I defy you to knock me down, and you are -a clumsy hound, so there!" -</p> - -<p> -He put up his hands a moment too late, for -Cade made a jump like a buck and caught him -full on the jaw, and the junior partner went down -like a sack of coals. He got up again more -quickly than was wise, and once more went -down. This time he did not get up, though he -was invited to do so with great politeness by -the second mate. For when Cade had it all -his own way, and had wiped out the sense of -self-contempt which had lately been troubling him, -he grew quite happy. -</p> - -<p> -"Get up, dear, and let me knock you endways -once more," he said in the most agreeable tones -at his command. "But I see you won't, my -chicken. You have had enough, and you may -go now and send up your partners one by one, -and I'll serve the sailor-robbin' scum in the -same way. Get out of this, and next time -don't forget that at the first crooked word, -though it is only rams'-horns, I'll knock you as -flat as a jib down-haul. This here bridge is -private." -</p> - -<p> -And Butterworth rose and staggered down to -his partners with his hand to his jaw. -</p> - -<p> -"I'm much happier than I was, and if the -old girl cuts up rough at my gettin' the sack -again, why all I have to say is that keelin' -Butterworth over is worth double the money," said -Cade joyfully. -</p> - -<p> -By this time the skipper had come to a decision -which would have pleased Cade even more -than knocking the junior partner endways. -Thripp said that he did not care if the skipper -did it. In fact, he wanted him to do it, and -did not care if it cost him his billet and he had -to ship before the stick in a wind-jammer for the -rest of his life. He also went on to say that -it would be a joy to him always, and that it -would be an equal joy to all hands. -</p> - -<p> -"Then that's decided on," said the 'old man' -firmly. "We ain't goin' into Gibraltar this -trip, not by a hatful, and when their special -grub gives out we'll decide what is to follow." -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, sir," said the mate, and he turned in -to get a snooze before it was his turn to go on -watch again. Jordan walked into the saloon, -and was passing the partners like a ship in full -sail passing some mud-barges, when he was -pulled up by Sloggett. -</p> - -<p> -"Captain Jordan, Mr. Butterworth has been -knocked down by the second mate." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, has he?" asked Jordan. -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, I have," roared the unfortunate man -who had not got his apology out in time to -save himself. "Yes, I 'ave, and when we get -to Gibraltar I'll 'ave 'im in jail as sure as I'm -one of the owners of this vessel." -</p> - -<p> -Jordan was perfectly reckless, and cared nothing -by now for any of them. He laughed, and -walked on towards his cabin. -</p> - -<p> -"Ain't you goin' to do nothin' about it?" -asked Shody. -</p> - -<p> -"Nothin'," said the skipper. "Serves the -measly little swine right. I hope Mr. Cade -will serve the lot of you the same way before -we get to Capetown." -</p> - -<p> -With that shot, which clean hulled them and -made them quiver, he went into his cabin and -slammed the door upon them. -</p> - -<p> -"There, there, what did I tell you?" wailed -Gruddle. "'E's goin' to take us on to Africa, -and we can't stop 'im." -</p> - -<p> -The prospect of being shut in a ship with -officers who totally refused to recognise that -they had any status but passengers was very -dreadful, but over and above that there was the -question of what would become of the business, -with none to attend to it but underpaid clerks -who were not allowed to know the dark and -secret ways of their employers. And then there -was the question of the grub. Shody fairly -quailed at the prospect. They turned on poor -smitten Butterworth like one man, and if -Cade needed any more revenge they gave it -him. -</p> - -<p> -"You must go and speak to the skipper, -Butterworth," they said in chorus, "you must -persuade him to act reasonable." -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, and be knocked down again!" said -the wretched junior, whose head was aching -as the result of Cade's hard fists. "'E's a much -more powerful man than that overbearin' beast -on the bridge, and I ain't goin' to be whippin' -boy for any of you." -</p> - -<p> -"But you got us to come," urged Gruddle. -</p> - -<p> -"I wish to 'eavens I 'ad died before I thought -of it," sighed Butterworth. "But who would -'ave thought as men like them, under our thumb -so to speak, would 'ave taken things as they -'ave done. It ain't my fault." -</p> - -<p> -But they said it was, and at last Gruddle -with a groan suggested that they should raise -the skipper's wages if he would be good and -kind to them, and not ruin them by taking -them to Africa. -</p> - -<p> -"For don't let us disguise it from ourselves, -it will be ruin or very near it. We'll get back -and find ourselves in the Court, without any of -them bills provided for," said the senior partner. -"Butterworth, I don't believe you ever tried -to apologise to the second mate at all." -</p> - -<p> -"He knocked me down as soon as I come on -the bridge," screamed Butterworth angrily. -</p> - -<p> -"You should 'ave apologised to a man like -that from a safe distance," said the wise and -sad Gruddle. "You 'ad no business on the -bridge, and you know it. 'Owever, I insist that -you go and speak polite to the captain, who -won't 'it you, I'm sure, while you are so swelled -from what the second mate 'as done." -</p> - -<p> -It took quite a quarter of an hour's combined -persuasion to make Butterworth put his head -into the lion's den, and he only did it on the -understanding that he was to be empowered to -offer the skipper a rise of three pounds a month -and an indemnity for his insubordination. -</p> - -<p> -"Very well," the others agreed, "you can -say we forgives him for his mutinous conduct, -and won't take any steps in the matter if 'e -lands us at Gib as arranged. And of course -our sayin' so means nothin', and we can 'ave -'im sacked at Capetown by cable, and put on -the street." -</p> - -<p> -Even then Butterworth was very uneasy, -and demurred to going to interview the ferocious -Jordan without some kind of an excuse. -</p> - -<p> -"'Adn't we better wait till 'e comes out to -dinner?" urged Butterworth, "and then our -speakin' will come natural, or more natural -than now." -</p> - -<p> -Sloggett looked up at this. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, if you are such a coward as to want -an excuse I can give you one," he said. "I -quite forgot till this very moment that I brought -a letter from the office for this old scoundrel of -a Jordan. So you can take it in, Butterworth." -</p> - -<p> -But the junior partner did not like being -called a coward after his encounter with the -second mate, and he was very cross with -Sloggett. -</p> - -<p> -"Coward yourself," he said angrily. "Why -don't you take it? I'll bet you 'aven't the -pluck to call that Cade a clumsy 'ound." -</p> - -<p> -"No more 'ave you, now," said Sloggett; "and -if you like I'll take on your job with Jordan, -and give 'im the letter myself." -</p> - -<p> -"All right, you can," said Butterworth; "and -I'll take five to three in sovs. that you don't -get an 'idin'." -</p> - -<p> -That no one offered to lay these odds made -Sloggett very uncomfortable, but as he had -undertaken the job he went through with it, -though he did it with a very pale face. He took -the letter from his pocket, without knowing -that by so doing he was rendering their trip to -Capetown a dead certainty, and walked to -the skipper's cabin. He paused for a moment -before he knocked, and the junior partner of -the unhappy firm laughed. That laugh gave -Sloggett the necessary stimulus to action, and -he tapped very mildly at Jordan's cabin. -</p> - -<p> -"Come in," roared the skipper, in a voice -like a distant thunderstorm, and Sloggett did -as he was bid, and did it as mildly as he had -knocked. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, captain, I forgot to tell you that I -brought you a letter from the office which came -just as I was leavin' it." -</p> - -<p> -"Put it down then," said the skipper in -anything but a conciliatory tone. But Sloggett -was not put off by that. He could not conceive -that anyone would not come off his perch at -the sound of money. -</p> - -<p> -"I want to talk to you about raisin' your -screw, captain," he said, with an obsequiousness -which was very rare with him. "I want to talk -with you on the subject of raisin' your screw." -</p> - -<p> -"I don't want to have any conversation -with you or any of your partners," said the -skipper truculently; "and if you have any -thing to say on that or any other subject, you -can say it when I come to dinner." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, very well," said Sloggett. "I am sorry -I have disturbed you, but I forgot to tell you -that I 'ad a letter for you, and that was really -why I came in." -</p> - -<p> -"I told you to put it down, didn't I?" asked -the skipper. "So do it and get." -</p> - -<p> -Sloggett withdrew like a dog with his tail -between his legs, and went back to his friends -and reported that Jordan was mad and intractable. -And in the meantime the 'old man' -took his letter and stared at it. -</p> - -<p> -"By crumbs," said Jordan, "it's from the poor -old girl that always wanted to marry me! It -is three years since she proposed last, and I -thought she had got tired of it. If she hasn't -I'm blowed if I won't think of doin' it after -all." -</p> - -<p> -He opened the letter eagerly, and when he -had read it he sighed and said— -</p> - -<p> -"Poor old girl, well, well, well! Who would -have thought it?" -</p> - -<p> -He walked up and down his narrow cabin, -and as he did so he shook his head. Nevertheless -there was quite another look in his -face from any he had worn since he had piled -up the <i>Grimshaw Hall</i>. He stood quite upright, -and threw back his shoulders and took -in a long breath. -</p> - -<p> -"I'm devilish glad that I broke with this -gang of robbers before I knew," he said. "I -feel like a man again. Poor old girl! I'm -almost sorry that I did not marry her after all. -I'll tell this to Thripp and Cade. They shall -share in this or I'm a Dutchman of the very -worst kind." -</p> - -<p> -He walked past the sad consulting partners, -and looked more haughty than ever, and yet -more good-tempered. -</p> - -<p> -"I'm very much afraid that he has 'ad good -news in that letter," said Gruddle, "for if 'e -has it may make 'im more hindependent." -</p> - -<p> -"I don't see 'ow 'e can be more independent -than 'e 'as been," remarked Shody. "When a -captain gets independent enough to call the -firm that owns 'im an infernal lot of 'ogs, that -seems to me the very 'eight of independence." -</p> - -<p> -But, as a matter of fact, Jordan was more -independent. He went up to Thripp, who was -on the bridge, with a curious expression of mixed -joy and sadness. -</p> - -<p> -"You remember that poor old girl that I told -you of, Thripp?" -</p> - -<p> -"The one that hankered to marry you?" -asked Thripp. -</p> - -<p> -"The same," said the skipper. "She has -pegged out, the poor old girl, at least she says -she has." -</p> - -<p> -Thripp stared. -</p> - -<p> -"What do you mean by that, sir? How could -she say so?" he asked. -</p> - -<p> -The skipper showed him the letter that he had -just received. -</p> - -<p> -"Sloggett brought it on board, and gave it me -just now as he came crawlin' to my cabin and -let on a lot of slush about raisin' my pay agin' -that they had just cut down, because they -have tumbled to the fact that I've a down on them -and the likes of them, and mean to get even -by takin' them to Capetown. And she says -in the letter that she isn't long for this weary -lonely world (those are her words, and they -make me feel as if I'd been ungrateful and ought -to have overlooked the fact that she wasn't -pretty), and that when she has deceased the -letter is to go to me at once, and from that -I draw the conclusion that she has deceased -and is no more, don't you see?" -</p> - -<p> -"I see," said the mate. "But does she say -anything else? She hasn't left you a ship by -any chance?" -</p> - -<p> -"Not to say a ship," said Jordan, shaking -his head, "but what's as good. It appears -that she naturally let on that she owned ships, -bein' a woman and a little inclined to brag, not -havin' good looks to fall back on, and it turns -out that she was in the tug and lighter line in -Hartlepool, and, as I gather, doin' well enough, -and makin' money with three good tugs and -a number of lighters and barges not named, as -well as a coal-yard with a well-established -connection, and she has left the whole shoot to me." -</p> - -<p> -"I congratulate you," said Thripp. "Now -you are really independent and can go for Gruddle -& Co. just as you like." -</p> - -<p> -The skipper nodded. -</p> - -<p> -"So I can, Thripp, so I can; but it is a great -pleasure to me to think that I told 'em the truth -and called 'em hogs before I had had this letter. -Thripp, I feel more like a man than I have done -since the very painful day that I had my certificate -suspended. Now I'll go and tell Cade. -He'll be glad to know it." -</p> - -<p> -He turned to leave the bridge, when Thripp -sighed. -</p> - -<p> -"I suppose if you do take 'em on to Table -Bay we shall all get the dirty kick-out there, -sir?" said Thripp in rather a melancholy tone -of voice. -</p> - -<p> -The skipper laughed jovially. -</p> - -<p> -"Of course we shall, Thripp, but think of -the satisfaction of doin' it! Oh, but I'm a -happy man this hour! And if you can guess -what I mean to do in addition to takin' them -where they by no manner of means want to go, -I'll stand you a bottle of their champagne, of -which I mean to have some or bust." -</p> - -<p> -"It's all very well for you now, with your -tugs and your lighters and a coal-yard," grumbled -Thripp, "but what about me and Cade, and our -wives?" -</p> - -<p> -The 'old man' stared at his chief officer in -the very greatest surprise. -</p> - -<p> -"Why, didn't I say that I wanted you and -him to come into the business with me, if you -ain't too proud to be the skipper of a tug and -manage lighters and a coal-yard?" -</p> - -<p> -"You never said a word about it," said Thripp -with a pleased and happy smile. "But if you -mean that, I'm in with you, sir, and anything -you like to do with the firm shall have my -heartiest support, even if you go so far as to -turn 'em for'ard to work." -</p> - -<p> -Jordan looked at him with the intensest -surprise. -</p> - -<p> -"How in the name of all that is holy and -righteous did you guess it?" he asked with -wide-opened eyes. "Thripp, my man, that -is my intention, and no mistake about it. But -keep it dark, and I will wake up Cade and make -him joyful, a thing he very rarely is, for his -career havin' not been a success appears to -weigh on his mind, and his missis is a tartar, -as I judge. Women worship success, and the -fact that the poor old girl that has left me these -tugs knew that I came to grief, and yet offered -to marry me in spite of it, touched me at the -time as much as the tugs do now." -</p> - -<p> -In five minutes there were three exceedingly -happy officers on board the <i>Nemesis</i>. Such a thing -had not happened in one of Messrs. Gruddle & -Company's boats since there had been such a firm. -But now there were four very unhappy partners. -</p> - -<p> -"I can't think why they are so happy," said -Gruddle when the skipper and the mate came -down and began their dinner, "but I feel sure -it don't mean any good to us. I never was in -such a position, and I don't believe it ever -happened before that the owners of a vessel was -in such a one. Oh, what shall we do if he won't -go to Gib?" -</p> - -<p> -At his instigation a bottle of champagne was -sent over to the captain's table. -</p> - -<p> -"Don't you understand, Butterworth," said -the senior partner, when Butterworth objected, -"that we are in a persition that is, I may say, -unparalleled? A captain has an awful lot -of power, and I gather from 'is be'aviour that 'e -knows it. In the office we gave 'im all proper -orders for Capetown, and said nothin' about -Gibraltar, because you hadn't been fool enough -to suggest it then. If 'e won't go there we -can't make 'im, so if a little kindness and a -bottle of champagne will do it it is very cheap -at the price." -</p> - -<p> -"I would like to murder 'im," said Butterworth, -but the champagne was sent over to the -skipper's table all the same. It was returned -quite courteously, or, at anyrate, without any -demonstration of hostility, and the partners -knew then that war had been declared, and -that peace could be obtained at no price, do -what they would. They put it all down to the -letter that Sloggett had given him, and they -attacked Sloggett, who in revenge drank far -more wine than he could stand, and went first -for one of them and then for another, and finally -got up enough steam to swear at the captain. -In one minute and fifteen seconds by any good -chronometer Mr. Sloggett was in irons, and in -a spare berth without anything to furnish it. -Captain Jordan was himself again, and not the -kind of man to put up with anything from -anybody. -</p> - -<p> -When Sloggett was quiet and subdued, the -skipper told them in a few brief but well-chosen -words what he and his officers and the whole -ship's company thought of them. He told them -his opinion of their charity, and of the wages -they paid, and of the grub they put on board -their vessel. He went on to state in very vivid -language what was said of them all the world -over, and then paused for a reply, which they -did not give him. He asked them what they -thought of themselves, and whatever they -thought upon that subject they did not venture -to state it. He asked Thripp if he would like -to say anything, and Thripp did make a few -remarks about things the captain had omitted. -Then Jordan asked them if they would like to -hear Mr. Cade on the subject, for if so Mr. Thripp -could relieve the second officer for a few minutes. -They expressed no anxiety to hear any more -counsel for the prosecution, and then Gruddle -made a heart-rending appeal for mercy. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, take us into Gibraltar, captain, and -we will forgive you all, and even raise your pay -to what you think is the proper figure. Oh, -don't take us to Capetown, for there isn't food -enough, and I shall die of indigestion." -</p> - -<p> -"There is plenty of food," said Jordan. "Oh, -there is heaps of grub such as Mr. Shody sent -on board himself, and as a lesson I'm goin' to -take you to South Africa, and I hope to the -Lord that you will survive it." -</p> - -<p> -Shody shivered; he knew what bad pork -was like. Gruddle, as a Jew, was no judge of it. -But the beef was even worse than the pork, and -the men for'ard were almost in mutiny about -it already. -</p> - -<p> -"But food like that is only fit for men -who are doin' hard work," said the unlucky -Shody. The skipper's eyes flashed and then -twinkled. -</p> - -<p> -"Is that so?" he said. "If it is so, there -seems to be a remedy." -</p> - -<p> -What the remedy was he declined to -state, and the firm declined to believe that it -could be the one that occurred to them all with -dreadful vividness. Oh no, it could not be that! -Captain Jordan left them thinking, and retired -into privacy for the remainder of the night. The -trouble of wondering what was to happen to them -came to an end in the morning, when by some -strange chance, if it was a chance, the deck hands -came as a deputation to the captain and laid -a complaint against the grub. Jordan requested -the presence on deck of the partners, and they -knew better than to refuse. -</p> - -<p> -"What you have to say about the food will -be better said before the owners, my men," said -the skipper. "As you know, they happen to be -on board." -</p> - -<p> -As he spoke they crawled on deck, looking -very unhappy. The steward, Smith, who began -to see how the land lay, and treated them with -far less respect already, told them what the -trouble was. -</p> - -<p> -"The men for'ard says the grub is rotten, -gents, and they are furious and fightable about -it. Oh, they are savage and very 'ostile." -</p> - -<p> -That was distinctly calculated to cheer them -up, and they were as cheerful as if they were -ordered three dozen at the gangway. With them -went Sloggett, who had been released from irons. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, here you are, gentlemen," said the -skipper cheerfully. For the first time since he -had been an officer all his sympathies were with -the men. He was no longer the captain only, he -was also a man, and he understood their point -of view. "I thought it best that you should -hear the men's complaints about the food. Now -then, my men, what have you to say?" -</p> - -<p> -The spokesman of the crew stood in front of -the rest, and after some half-audible encouragement -from his fellows he burst into speech. -</p> - -<p> -"The grub is 'orrid, sir. Oh, it is the 'orridest -that we was ever in company with. The pork -stinks raw or boiled, and the beef fair pawls the -teeth of the 'ole crowd. The biscuit is full of -worms, and what isn't is as 'ard as flint. The -butter makes us sick, sir. And not to make a song -about it, but to cut it short, we are bein' starved." -</p> - -<p> -"I'm sorry to hear it," said the captain. -"But I am not responsible for the food, men, -and when we get to Capetown I'll do my best -to see that better stores are put on board. For -the stores that you speak of Mr. Shody is -responsible." -</p> - -<p> -"If they are bad I 'ave been imposed on," -said Shody; but the men made audible and -disrespectful remarks which the captain suppressed -at once. -</p> - -<p> -"That will do. Go for'ard and I'll see what -can be done." -</p> - -<p> -There was only one thing that could be done, -and he did it there and then. He had all the -provisions that the partners had brought aboard -divided among the men for'ard. He sternly -refused Thripp's suggestion that the afterguard -should share the plunder. Even more, the -remaining bottles of champagne went the same -way, and for the first time in their lives the -deck-hands and stokers had a real glass of wine that -had cost someone ninety shillings a dozen. The -firm stood by in mute misery. -</p> - -<p> -"That's the beginnin'," said the skipper -sternly, and not one of them had the pluck to -ask him what he meant. Gruddle went in -tears to Thripp and asked him. -</p> - -<p> -"You're the worst of the lot, you are," said -the independent mate, "and I decline to tell -you. But I've no objection to throw out a dark -'int that this boat is undermanned all round both -on deck and in the stokehold. Does the thought -that that gives rise to in your mind make you -curl up? Oh, Gruddle, all this is real jam to us, -and we mean to scoff it to the very last spoonful. -It will do us good!" -</p> - -<p> -Gruddle grasped him by the sleeve. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, Mr. Thripp, if you'll 'elp us out of 'is -'ands we'll make you the captain and give you -anythin' you like to ask for in reason." -</p> - -<p> -"Would it run to a thousand pounds, do you -think?" asked the mate. -</p> - -<p> -Gruddle groaned horribly, but said that he -thought it might run so far. -</p> - -<p> -"Then let me tell you," said Thripp, "that -Jordan is an old pal of mine, and I wouldn't -go back on him for ten thousand, or even more. -And over and above that, my son, I wouldn't lose -the sight of you trimmin' coal in a bunker for -the worth of the firm." -</p> - -<p> -He left Gruddle planted to the deck, a wretched -sight for the gods, and promptly told Jordan -of the offer that had been made to him. Jordan -nodded. -</p> - -<p> -"I ain't surprised," said Jordan. "But, after -all, Gruddle is by no means the worst of the gang, -and I won't send him down into the stokehold. -I mean to keep that for Shody. And I want -you to understand that I ain't doin' this out of -revenge, but out of a sense of public duty." -</p> - -<p> -He quite believed it, and Thripp saw that he -did. -</p> - -<p> -"It's all hunky so far as I'm concerned," said -Thripp, "and I hope that you will put Butterworth -in Cade's watch and Sloggett in mine." -</p> - -<p> -That was exactly what the skipper had decided -on, and he was much surprised to see that Thripp -had fathomed his mind. -</p> - -<p> -"To-morrow by noon we shall just about be -abreast of Gib, and a long way to the west -of it," said Jordan. "I'll give 'em liberty till -then, and when I send 'em for'ard I will tell -'em how near Gib is. It will serve them right. -I will do it without visibly triumphing over them, -Thripp, for I don't believe in treadin' on those -who are down." -</p> - -<p> -"No more do I, sir," said the mate, "not -unless they thoroughly deserve it." -</p> - -<p> -He left the captain pondering over the -situation, and presently imparted to Butterworth -the fate in store for him. As Butterworth had -nothing whatever to say he went on to the bridge -and told Cade of the joy to come. Cade was -very magnanimous. -</p> - -<p> -"I'll treat him no worse than any of the -others," said Cade with a smile, "no worse." -</p> - -<p> -"That's good of you," said Thripp. -</p> - -<p> -"Not a bit worse," said Cade again. "They -are a holy lot of ruffians in the starboard watch, -as you know, and I'll give them all socks if they -don't look out. I tell you, sir, that I'm about -sorry for Butterworth in that gang. Almost, -but not quite." -</p> - -<p> -He had a habit of repeating his words, of -chewing the cud of them, and Thripp heard him -once more mumble to himself that he was almost -sorry, 'but not quite.' The mate knew that the -one who would be quite sorry was Butterworth. -He also had suspicions that Mr. Sloggett as a -deck hand under his own supervision was likely -to learn many things of which he was at present -ignorant. He went to the engine-room and saw -the chief engineer. To him he revealed the -interesting fact that Shody was to be made an -extra hand on the engine-room staff. Old Maclehose -grinned like a monkey at the sight of a nut. -</p> - -<p> -"Weel, weel, and do you say so?" asked -Mac. "That is most encouragin', and it's -more than whusky to me. He's the man that -is responsible for all the stores, is he not, Thripp?" -</p> - -<p> -Thripp said that he was. -</p> - -<p> -"My boys will kill him, I shouldna wonder," -said Mac. "But if they should, I'm hopin' it -will be an accident, Thripp." -</p> - -<p> -He wiped his hands with a lump of waste, -and thereby signified that he wiped his hands -of Shody's untimely decease. -</p> - -<p> -"The oil is bad," said Mac. "I'm of a solid -opeenion that Shody won't be so oily after -we are through the tropics as he is the -noo." -</p> - -<p> -He said no more. He was a man of few -words. Thripp knew he could be trusted for -deeds. He went on deck and was almost sorry -for Shody. The partners were quite sorry -for themselves, and felt as helpless as flies in -the web of a spider. They ceased to struggle, -and when the usual grub of the <i>Nemesis</i> was -served to them by an insolent steward, who -cared no longer for their authority, they sat -and did not eat it and said nothing. -</p> - -<p> -The end came at noon next day, when they -were all on deck in fine weather, with Gibraltar -far away on the port beam. Old Mac came -on deck and complained to the skipper that he -was short-handed in the stokehold. Cade spoke -up with a pleasant grin. -</p> - -<p> -"You know, Mr. Maclehose, that we can't spare -you anyone from the deck. We're short -ourselves, are we not, Mr. Thripp?" -</p> - -<p> -"Two short at least," said Thripp, who also -smiled as if he were pleased with the fact. -</p> - -<p> -"I'll find you help," said Jordan, who was -the only one who did not smile. He turned to -the partners, who were clustered together in a -sullen and disconsolate group. -</p> - -<p> -"Do you hear, gentlemen, that the chief -engineer is short of the hands he should have? -I think I told you so in the office, and if I -remember rightly, Mr. Shody said I would have to do -on what the firm thought enough." -</p> - -<p> -Shody turned as white as new waste, and then -grew the colour of waste that has been used. -The others fidgeted uneasily, but no one said -anything. -</p> - -<p> -"Under the circumstances I have concluded -to give you the assistance of Mr. Shody," said -the skipper. -</p> - -<p> -"I won't go," roared Shody. "You can't make -me. It is a crime, and I protest. Oh, it is -scandalous!" -</p> - -<p> -"You <i>will</i> go," said Jordan, "and I'll see -that you do. I'm goin' to teach you all something, -I can assure you. And if you don't follow -Mr. Maclehose at once, I'll have the stokers up -to carry you down." -</p> - -<p> -Gruddle implored the skipper to be merciful, -and Jordan said that he would be. -</p> - -<p> -"You are the oldest of the lot, Gruddle, and -I have decided that I can best avail myself of -your services by askin' you to assist the steward. -The duties will not be heavy, and all you are -asked is to be polite and willin'. You can -now commence. If you stand there and argue -I will put you into the stokehold along with -Mr. Shody." -</p> - -<p> -Gruddle did not attempt to argue. He was -much too afraid that the captain would keep -his word. He crawled down below and went to -Smith, who set him to work on the light and -easy task of cleaning out the captain's berth. -While he was at it he heard loud yells from -the main-deck, and was told by the steward -that four stokers were carrying his partner -Shody down below. Over what happened there -a decent veil may be drawn. Old Maclehose -and the engine-room complement had very little -trouble with him and taught him a very great -deal in a very short time. Sloggett, whose spirit -had been taken out of him by being put in irons, -went into the mate's watch without a single -kick; and though Butterworth began to say -something, what he was about to tell them never -got further than his lips. Cade caught him -by the neck, and running him aft discharged -him at the door of the fo'c'sle, and recommended -him to the tender mercies of the watch below. -</p> - -<p> -"There, that is done now," said Jordan. -"I feel once more as if I was captain of my own -ship, and as if I had performed a public duty." -</p> - -<p> -"We may get into trouble, you know," said -Thripp. -</p> - -<p> -"Not at all," said the skipper. "They will -never dare say a word about it, and when we -anchor in Table Bay we'll lock them up, and -skip ashore and start for England under other -names right off. Timms of the <i>Singhalese</i> will -be about sailin' the very day we should get -there, and he'll be only too pleased to hear -the yarn and give us a passage. In two months -we'll be runnin' the tug and lighter business, -Thripp, and Cade can run the coal-yard." -</p> - -<p> -He smoked a happy pipe. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap02"></a></p> - -<h3> -THE STRANGE SITUATION OF CAPTAIN BROGGER -</h3> - -<p> -"Brogger is no class!" said the crowd for'ard -in the <i>Enchantress</i>, a big barque belonging to -Liverpool, and just then loading wheat at -Portland, Oregon. "Billy Brogger is no class; but -mean—mean to the backbone!" -</p> - -<p> -They hated him worse than poison, for there -are some kinds of poison that sailormen do not -hate. And Jack Eales, who was the head and -soul and mouthpiece of the starboard watch, -for the hundredth time explained the reason of -their hatred. -</p> - -<p> -"On'y it ain't 'atred," said Eales, "it ain't -'atred. It's plain, straightforward despisery. -I've sailed with rough and tough and 'ard -skippers, and never 'ated 'em. But our 'old -man' is religious without no religion. Oh, that's -a mean thing, that is! And there's no pleasin' -of 'im. Never a decent word, nor a tot out of -'im if we works our innards out. The skipper -ain't no class! 'E lets on to despise sailormen, -and calls us ignorant. And what's 'is word for -ever when 'e's jawin'—'You no sailor, you!' And -'ere I am ready to lay my duff for a month -of Sundays against 'alf a pint of dandyfunk that -'e couldn't make a four-stranded Mattie Walker -to save 'is unsaved soul! Called me no sailor, -didn't 'e, over a real nice job of wire splicin'! -I'll bet the 'old man' couldn't do an eye splice in -a piece of inch and an 'alf manilla without thinkin' -about it. Those that know 'im say 'e was the -clumsiest ass ever sent to sea. Went up six -times for 'is second mate's stiff. Why, the mate -and the second 'ere knows 'im for no seaman, and -'e's as 'andy with a 'ambone as a pig with a -pianner. They two loaths 'im just as much as -us!" -</p> - -<p> -There was a deal of truth in the indictment, -for Brogger would never have got a ship but for -the fact that the chief owners of the <i>Enchantress</i> -were his elder brothers. -</p> - -<p> -"'Tis a pity we don't skip out here," said -one of the men, "the old swine would have -his work cut out to get a fresh crowd." -</p> - -<p> -"Ay, it's a pity we're such a quiet, sober -crowd," replied Eales, who on occasion was -neither quiet nor sober; "but, as I showed -you after our passage out 'ere, it would be money -in Brogger's pocket and the owners' if we quit. -And 'tis true 'e owns about three sixty-fourths -of 'er 'imself. The boardin'-'ouse bosses are -selling sailors at sixty dollars per 'ead. Flesh -and blood are cheap to-day! I wish I could -hinvent somethin' to get even with the 'old man' -in this bally, rowdy, shanghain' old Portland. I'll -give ten dollars to the son of a gun that gives -me the least 'int of a working scheme to do it." -</p> - -<p> -"D'ye mean it, Jack Eales?" asked the whole -crowd. -</p> - -<p> -"Don't jump down a man's throat simultaneous," -said Eales indignantly, "for in course -I means it. And what's more, I've got the -stuff. I ain't relyin' on that blasted old devil -dodger aft for no measly five bob a week. Since -I took the pledge not to get drunk—real drunk, -that is—more'n once a month, I can trust myself -with money, and I've got it 'ere." -</p> - -<p> -He kicked the chest on which he sat to show -his bank. -</p> - -<p> -"Blimy," said a young cockney called Corlett, -who was the happiest chap on board, "I'll 'ave -a shot for Jack's ten dollars!" -</p> - -<p> -"My chest's not locked," said Jack, and -among so friendly a crowd the suggestion, which -was the friendliest joke, was marked up to Eales -as happy wit. -</p> - -<p> -"I'm in the race for that purse," said Bush, -who was the oldest seaman on board. -</p> - -<p> -"We're all after it," said the crowd, and for -days afterwards they chased Jack Eales with -absurd proposals, the very least of which was a -felony, and the most pleasing absolute piracy. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, go to thunder," said Jack, when a lump -of a chap called Pizzey proposed to scuttle the -<i>Enchantress</i> as she lay alongside the wharf. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, very well," said Pizzey, who was much -hurt at the way his plan was received, "but I'll -have you know that if you do it after all, that -ten dollars is mine." -</p> - -<p> -The nature of seamen is so childlike, so forgetful, -so forgiving, that without further and continual -irritation they would have talked till the -vessel was towed down the Willamette and the -Columbia, and for that matter all the way to -Liverpool. But the skipper saw to it that they -had something to growl about. He kept them -working a quarter of an hour after knock-off -time three times a week. He cut down their -usual five shillings a week to a dollar, on the ground -that he was reckoning in dollars just then. The -fresh grub he sent on board was enough, as they -said in the fo'c'sle, to make a pig take to fasting. -And he nagged and growled without ceasing till -Plump, the mate, who was a very decent fellow, -hated him worse than the crew did. He listened -to the second mate Dodman, when Dodman -burst out into long-suppressed bad language. -</p> - -<p> -"I oughtn't to agree with you, but I do, -I own it freely," said Plump, as they stood against -the poop-rail and watched Brogger pick his way -through the mud on the wharf. "I ought to tell -you to dry up, Mr. Dodman, but I find it hard -to do my duty." -</p> - -<p> -"He's a miserable, mean, measly, growling, -discontented devil," said Dodman in a red -heat, as he mopped his forehead. "Comes -and tells me I ain't fit to stow mud in a -mud-barge. Ain't it true when he was second in this -same old <i>Enchantress</i> he stowed sugar on -kerosine? And if the old swab can rig a double -Spanish burton, I'll eat this belayin' pin. Our -skipper's a know-nothing, sir." -</p> - -<p> -"It's my duty not to listen to you," said -Plump sadly. "I don't hear you, Mr. Dodman." -</p> - -<p> -"Then I'd like to roar it through a speakin' -trumpet," said the insubordinate second greaser. -"I'd love to put it into flags, and let every -ship in Portland learn the precious truth. Didn't -he say it was your fault, sir, that Smith skipped -out last night?" -</p> - -<p> -"He did," said Plump darkly, "when he'd -told the best worker in the ship that he was -a soldier! Told him he was a soldier!" -</p> - -<p> -With the land alongside, what could any -self-respecting seaman do but go ashore after -so dire an insult? They say at sea 'a messmate -before a shipmate, a shipmate before a dog, and -a dog before a soldier.' It was no wonder -Smith skipped, and was just then roaring drunk -in Lant and Gulliver's, who were the boss -boarding-house masters in Portland, and bought and -sold seamen as a ranchman might cattle. -</p> - -<p> -And that very night Corlett came up to Jack -Eales as he was going ashore, and put his hand -on his shoulder. The young cockney had a -grin upon him which, properly divided, would -have made the whole ship's company look happy. -</p> - -<p> -"That ten dollars is mine," said Corlett. -"Jack, you're ten dollars short. I wouldn't -part with my claim on it for nine dollars and -ninety-nine cents." -</p> - -<p> -"We've 'eard too many rotten dodges lately," -said Eales, "to take that in. What's the news -now?" -</p> - -<p> -But Corlett shook his head. -</p> - -<p> -"I'm for the shore with you, sonny, and I'll -tell you goin' along." -</p> - -<p> -He bubbled as he walked, and every now -and again burst into a roar of laughter, which -was so infectious that Eales joined in at last. -</p> - -<p> -"You are a funny bloke," said Eales; "and -I'll say this for you, Corlett: I've never looked -on you as no fool." -</p> - -<p> -And Corlett sat down on a pile of lumber -and laughed till he ached. -</p> - -<p> -"Me a fool! Jack Eales, I'm the smartest -cove on this coast. My notion's worth an -'undred dollars. It's as clear as mud, and -as easy as eatin' good soft tack, and so neat -that I wonder at myself. And it fits -everythin'—everythin'." -</p> - -<p> -"Then out with it," said Eales. -</p> - -<p> -And Corlett came out with it. -</p> - -<p> -"By Gosh!" said Eales—"by Gosh!" -</p> - -<p> -He collapsed upon an adjacent pile of lumber -and gasped. -</p> - -<p> -"You've no right to be at sea," he said presently; -"a man with your 'ead, Corlett, ought to 'ave -a public-'ouse in a front street, and nothin' to -pay for drinks. I've only three dollars on me. -'Ere's a dollar and an 'alf. I owe you eight-fifty." -</p> - -<p> -He walked ten yards and came back again. -</p> - -<p> -"You should 'ave bumps on your 'ead," -he sighed. "This is hintellec', Corlett. It ain't -mere cleverness, this isn't." -</p> - -<p> -"You don't say so," said the cockney -modestly. -</p> - -<p> -"I do say so," replied Eales with great -firmness; "I say it freely." -</p> - -<p> -And they walked up town. -</p> - -<p> -"You see," said Corlett, "'ow the 'ole thing -stows itself away. It 'ardly needs management. -Lant and Gulliver 'ates 'im, and they're that -jealous of Shanghai Smith down in 'Frisco with -'is games, they'll jump at this. And then it's -well known Mr. Plump ain't got 'is master's -ticket. And young Dodman on'y got 'is second's -ticket a v'yge ago. There'll be no goin' back -on it if the agents find the right man. By the -'Oly Frost, Jack, we'll diskiver yet if old Brogger -is 'alf a bally seaman anyway." -</p> - -<p> -"It's a merricle, Corlett, it's a merricle!" -said Jack Eales. "I never quite properly -understood what books I've looked into meant -by the pure hintellec'. You're clean wasted -at sea, so you are. To-night we'll think it over, -and to-morrow you and me will go as a committee -of deputation to Lant and Gulliver if we sees -no flaw in the thing." -</p> - -<p> -"Take my word, there ain't no flaw in it," -said Corlett. -</p> - -<p> -"I'm inclined to believe you," said Eales, -almost humbly. "I never thought to own up -that a man on board the <i>Enchantress</i> was my -equal, let alone my superior." -</p> - -<p> -He sighed, but Corlett encouraged him. -</p> - -<p> -"'Tis on'y a fluke, Jack." -</p> - -<p> -"No, no," said Jack; "no, no, this is real -'ead-work. I knows it when I sees it. I'm -proud to be shipmates with you, Corlett. Shake -'ands again." -</p> - -<p> -They shook hands, and presently Corlett -spent the one dollar and fifty cents which he -had earned by pure intellect. -</p> - -<p> -"Per'aps I'm a fool to be at sea," he said to -himself. "I shouldn't wonder if Jack's right." -</p> - -<p> -And next evening they walked up to Lant -and Gulliver's, and demanded to see either -or both of the partners in private. -</p> - -<p> -"'Tis puttin' our 'eads in the lion's mouth -to come 'ere," said Jack Eales, "and you and -me will do well not to touch a drop, whatever -these land-sharks offer, Corlett. Doped drinks -ain't for me just now. So don't go large at all, -my son." -</p> - -<p> -"I won't," said Corlett, "if none of 'em -don't offer me a drink three times, I can 'old -off it, Jack. Sayin' 'no' once is tol'rable easy. -I can squeeze out a second if it's a case of 'ave -to; but what I dread's the third." -</p> - -<p> -Jack Eales nodded. -</p> - -<p> -"The third time's what proves a man's -principles, I own. I've gone to four times more -than once soon after bein' very much under the -weather. But 'ere we are." -</p> - -<p> -They came to Lant and Gulliver's boarding-house, -the whole front of which was a saloon. -It looked a 'tough' house, and it was tough -both inside and out. These gentry had a 'pull' -in Portland which enabled them to do as they -pleased, and the only thing that pleased them -was to make money. Most of the other boarding-houses -had been fined out of existence, owing -to a law that Mr. Lant had lobbied for at Salem. -His conduct in the matter had brought him -much praise for noble disinterestedness. He -had asked for fines of five hundred dollars for -gross infractions of the law instead of fifty, and -the unsuspecting Legislature said it was a splendid -suggestion, and passed the Bill with unanimity. -As a result, his rivals, who were comparatively -poor scoundrels without his control of the police, -shed their dollars once or twice and then went -under, and he had a monopoly. Both Lant -and Gulliver had what Jack Eales called 'pure -hintellec''; they would have adorned the bench -in Ohio; they might have shone as Finance -Ministers in Costa Rica or Panama. -</p> - -<p> -"Well, wot is it?" asked Lant, who had -the eyes and jaws and nose of a pugilist, and -the domed skull of a philosopher. "Wot's the -trouble here? What ship are you off of?" -</p> - -<p> -"We wants a private talk with you, sir," -said Eales, who had never met Lant before, -and was more scared of him than he would -have been of any admiral. For Lant and -Gulliver's reputation is world-wide—all men who -go down to the sea in ships know them. -</p> - -<p> -He wrinkled his brows at them and considered -for a moment. Then he led the way into -the private snuggery, in which as much -scoundrelism had been concocted as if it had been the head -office of a great Trust or the Russian Foreign -Office. -</p> - -<p> -"Spit it out," said Lant as he sat down. -</p> - -<p> -"We're in the <i>Enchantress</i>, sir," said Eales. -</p> - -<p> -"And you want to get out, eh? What's -my runners about? Haven't they bin aboard -of you yet?" -</p> - -<p> -He frowned savagely, and Eales hastened -to acquit any of his myrmidons of such gross -negligence. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh yes, sir," he said, "they've been down -every day, but on'y one man 'as quit. We -don't want to leave 'er, but we ain't satisfied -with the skipper, sir, and we know, or at least -we suspect, that 'e ain't no favourite of yours -neither, Mr. Lant, sir." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, and if he ain't?" said Lant. -</p> - -<p> -"'E do abuse you something awful; don't 'e, Corlett?" -</p> - -<p> -"Awful," said Corlett; "it's 'orrid to 'ear 'im." -</p> - -<p> -"And 'e shipped nearly all real teetotallers -to do you in the eye, sir," said Eales, "for 'e -said, sir, as no sober man would 'ave nothing -to do with you." -</p> - -<p> -"Are you a teetotaller?" asked Lant. -</p> - -<p> -"To-day I am," said Eales hurriedly. "I was -drunk yesterday, and the day after I can't look -at an empty bottle even without cold shivers, -sir. And it's the same with my mate; ain't it, Corlett?" -</p> - -<p> -"The sight of a tot would make me sick," -said Corlett plaintively. -</p> - -<p> -"Well, well," said Lant, "what's your game? -Spit it out, I say. I can't give all my time -to hearin' you've not the stomach of a man -between you. Now, quick, what is it?" -</p> - -<p> -But Eales stood first on one leg and then on -the other. -</p> - -<p> -"You, Corlett!" -</p> - -<p> -"No, not me," said the seaman of pure intellect. -</p> - -<p> -"Well, then, sir, Mr. Lant, does you 'ave any -sort of respect for Captain Brogger, or would -you like to get even for 'is most unkind language -respectin' you?" -</p> - -<p> -Lant looked him up and down, and for a -moment was inclined to break out violently. But -he hated Brogger, who had injured his prestige -once before by taking out of Portland every man -he brought into it, and he was curious besides. -</p> - -<p> -"Suppose I'd like to do him up complete-ly," -said Lant, staring at Bales hard. -</p> - -<p> -"And make 'im fair redik'lus and the laughin' -stock of the 'ole coast?" -</p> - -<p> -"That would suit me," said Lant. "It would -fit me like a dandy suit of clothes." -</p> - -<p> -"'E's the nastiest, meanest skipper as ever -lay in the Willamette; ain't 'e, Corlett?" -</p> - -<p> -"I never 'eard of a measlier," said Corlett, -looking for a cuspidor in order to accentuate -his verdict. -</p> - -<p> -"Then 'ere's for tellin' Mr. Lant the 'ole -thing," said Eales desperately. And when he -was 'through' with his scheme, Lant lay back -in his chair and laughed till he cried. -</p> - -<p> -"It's great," he said, "it's great. Holy -Mackinaw, it's great! And you say he's no -seaman?" -</p> - -<p> -"'E ain't even a thing in place of it, sir," -said Eales. -</p> - -<p> -"And you really won't drink?" -</p> - -<p> -Eales looked at Corlett, and Corlett looked at -Eales. -</p> - -<p> -"We wouldn't mind takin' a bottle down -on board, sir," said Corlett, who once more -proved his intellectual capacity. -</p> - -<p> -"And mind you keep your mouths shut," -said Lant. -</p> - -<p> -"Wild 'orses shan't drag a word out of us, -sir," said Eales, "for when my mate's drunk -'e's sulky, and I'm 'appy but speechless." -</p> - -<p> -And down they went on board the <i>Enchantress</i> -with their bottle, while Lant held a council of war -with his chief runner. -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -* * * * * * * -</p> - -<p> -Portland is a hard place; there is no harder -place in the world. San Francisco, for all its -reputation, which it owes so greatly to the gold -times, is a sweet and easy health resort compared -with the trading capital of Oregon. Oregonians -from all parts of the State say it is a selfish city, -with no more sense of State patriotism than an -Italian city of the fifteenth century had of national -patriotism. But in these days Portland is -beginning to get a trifle nervous about its -reputation. It is beginning to get written about, and -the truth is told occasionally as to what goes -on there. This is why a sudden and remarkable -disappearance of Captain Brogger, two days -before the <i>Enchantress</i> was due to be towed -down stream to the ocean, caused rather more -sensation than it might have done a few years -ago. The newspapers took two sides, and -regarded two hypotheses as needing no proof. -The papers which were trying to make Portland -smell sweetly in the nostrils of the mercantile -world said that some of the boarding-house -bosses might be able to clear up the mystery. -They gave reasons for supposing that Brogger -was not loved by the tyrants of the water-front. -But other papers declared that he had been -knocked on the head and dumped into the river -by some of his own crew. One reporter declared -that a more evil-looking lot of ruffians than the -crowd on board the <i>Enchantress</i> never towed -past Kalama. This journal was partially owned -by Lant and Gulliver. They owned something -of everything, even a judge. And the good -police did what they were told, so long as it -was possible. They set about a story that -Brogger had committed suicide. The crew said -he had been looking wild of late. Mr. Plump -had no theory, and was only mad that he had -no master's certificate. Young Dodman went -round whistling, in spite of the fact that he was -the last man to have a real shine with the -skipper. -</p> - -<p> -"I hope he won't come back, that's all," -said Dodman. "If he does I'm for the shore, -boys; I'm for the shore. I've not known what -it was to be happy for months till now." -</p> - -<p> -But Plump grew haggard running to the -police and the agents. The <i>Enchantress</i> was -full up to the deck-beams with the best Oregon -wheat, and was ready to go to sea. Every -hour's delay meant a notch against him with -the owners. And yet, as the owners were the -missing skipper's brothers, he did not like to -hurry. But the agents, who cared about no -man's brother, put their foot down. -</p> - -<p> -"We've found you a captain, Mr. Plump." -</p> - -<p> -"What sort?" asked Plump anxiously. -</p> - -<p> -"He's a good man and well recommended, -and a thorough seaman." -</p> - -<p> -"That'll be a change," said Plump. "Poor -old Brogger was fit to skipper a canal-barge. -All right, if you say so. We're ready if your -new man is. All we want is another hand, -and he's coming on board to-night if we sail -to-morrow. We've had luck that way, whatever -else has gone wrong. If Brogger had lived I -believe he'd have lost the whole crowd the way -he was shaping. He grew meaner every day." -</p> - -<p> -And that night the new skipper came on -board. He shook hands with his officers, and -in half an hour Plump had almost forgotten -his want of a master's ticket, and Dodman -was swearing by the new man; for Captain -John Greig was a man, and no mistake! He -was quick and hard and bright and humorous, -and there was that about him which was better -than any extra certificate—he looked a seaman, -and was one. And he was as happy as he could -be to get a good ship. The vessel in which he -had been mate had gone home without him, -owing to his getting smallpox. -</p> - -<p> -"I think we shall do," said Greig. "I wonder -what became of that old duffer Brogger? Well, -it's an ill wind that don't serve some skipper. -I'm a skipper at last, and with any luck I'll -stay so." -</p> - -<p> -Early next morning, just as the <i>Enchantress</i> -was making ready to tow down the river, and -when the whole world was still dark save where -the dawn on the great peak of Mount Hood -showed a strange high gleam to the eastward, -Lant and Gulliver's chief runner came on board -and saw the mate. -</p> - -<p> -"The man we agreed to put on board is sick," -said the runner, "and as all our crowd here is -fixed up for, we've wired down to Astoria to -our other house to send you a good man in his -place." -</p> - -<p> -"Right," said Plump, who was standing on -the fo'c'sle head—"right you are. Ay, ay, sir, -let go that head-line! Jump and haul—haul -it in, men!" -</p> - -<p> -The men were cheerful; there was something -in the voice of a real man now on the -poop that bucked them up. And they knew -as well as Plump himself that he was happy -to have got rid of Brogger. The <i>Enchantress</i> -looked as if she was to be a happy ship on the -passage home. -</p> - -<p> -"You seem a derned happy family," said -the runner to Jack Eales as he skipped ashore. -</p> - -<p> -"So we are," said Jack. "But tell us what's -the name of the chap that'll come aboard at -Astoria." -</p> - -<p> -"His name," said the runner—"his name—oh, -it's Bill Juggins!" -</p> - -<p> -For he knew that Jack Eales knew more than -he 'let on.' -</p> - -<p> -"The new man's name is Bill Juggins," he -told Corlett five minutes later, as they began -to move swiftly down the smooth dark waters -of the Willamette while the early lights of -the town still gleamed and the snowy peak of -Mount Hood was edged with roses in a rosy -dawn. -</p> - -<p> -"'Is name is Juggins!" -</p> - -<p> -He slapped his thigh and laughed. They -lay that night off Astoria, and before the -tow-line was again made fast to pull her out over -the great Columbia bar the new hand was put -aboard in the usual condition of alcoholic coma -with not a little laudanum mixed with it. He -was stowed in a bunk in the fo'c'sle, where -he lay just as they threw him. But Jack and -Corlett were as nervous now as two greenhorns -on a royal yard. -</p> - -<p> -"I'm all of a bally twitter, I am," said Jack -Eales. "D'ye know, Corlett, I ain't sure we -ain't done after all. I don't believe I ever see -this joker before. Brogger 'ad a beard." -</p> - -<p> -"And Lant and Gulliver 'ad a razor," said -Corlett. -</p> - -<p> -"Brogger was pippy and pasty and white -as—oh—as white," urged Eales, "and this -josser is as black as a mulatter." -</p> - -<p> -"Walnuts grow in Oregon," said the wise -Corlett. "D'ye think we might let the crowd -into the racket?" -</p> - -<p> -"No, no, man," said Jack, "don't let nobody -know as we 'ad 'alf an 'and in it. The cove's -name may be Juggins, but we'll be jugged." -</p> - -<p> -They were well out to sea, and the tug was a -blotch of smoke to windward, before Bill Juggins, -A.B., showed the faintest sign of life. And -even then they only heard him grunt as he -turned over uneasily and went off on another -cruise in the deep seas of sleep. -</p> - -<p> -"If he works like he sleeps," said the crowd -in the second dog-watch, "he'll be a harder -grafter than Smith that skipped. It's a wonder -the second ain't been in after him." -</p> - -<p> -But the new skipper and Plump and Dodman -hit it off so completely that they sat together -on the poop and told each other all about -everything in the happiest way. For Greig, though -he was a hard enough man in his way, had the -gift of creating good humour along with respect. -</p> - -<p> -"It's a wonder what became of my lamented -predecessor," said Greig. -</p> - -<p> -"He's certainly dead, sir," said Plump. -</p> - -<p> -"As dead as mutton," agreed Dodman. -</p> - -<p> -"It would be a compliment to put the ship -in mourning, as he owned a share in her," said -Greig; "and I think I shall do it." -</p> - -<p> -"There's enough blue paint on board, sir," -said the second, "to put a fleet into mourning. -I don't know how it came here, for Captain -Brogger didn't care to be extra lavish with -stores." -</p> - -<p> -It was Dodman's way of saying the deceased -skipper was as mean as his brothers. -</p> - -<p> -"Very well," said Greig; "you can do it -as soon as you like, Mr. Plump. These are -customs which I hate to see die out. And -now I think I'll turn in." -</p> - -<p> -As he went he added— -</p> - -<p> -"I believe we shall get on very well together, -gentlemen." -</p> - -<p> -Plump and Dodman said they were sure of -it, and when he had gone below they said— -</p> - -<p> -"He's all right." -</p> - -<p> -At midnight Plump went below too, and -Dodman walked the weather side of the poop in -a happier frame of mind than he had known -since he came on board the vessel in Liverpool. -The wind was fine and steady out of the east, -and the <i>Enchantress</i> slipped through the water -very sweetly. -</p> - -<p> -"Damme," said poor Dodman, "I believe -I could sing." -</p> - -<p> -He walked aft, looked at the compass, stared -over the taffrail at the wake, looked aloft to -see if the gaff topsail, which was an ill-cut and -ill-conditioned sail, was in decent shape, and -then whistled. Being right aft he did not see -a short, dark man come from the fo'c'sle and -stagger along the main-deck. But Bales and -Corlett saw him and left the rest of the -starboard watch, who were yarning quietly on -the spare topmast lashed under the rail. -</p> - -<p> -"'E's come to," said Eales. "Holy sailor, -this is a game!" -</p> - -<p> -Bill Juggins, A.B., laid hold of a belaying pin -in the fife rail of the main-mast, and swayed -to and fro like a wet swab in a cross sea. -</p> - -<p> -"Where am I?" said Bill Juggins. "This -is a nightmare. I want to wake." -</p> - -<p> -He held tight and pondered. But his brain reeled. -</p> - -<p> -"I have no beard," said the new seaman; -"I'm clean shaved. My hair's that short I -can't catch hold of it. These ain't my clothes. -I can't stand straight. But if this ain't my -ship I'm mad." -</p> - -<p> -"D'ye 'ear the pore devil?" asked Jack. -</p> - -<p> -"I 'ears," said Corlett. "If 'e 'adn't told -me I was a soldier I should say it was pafettick -to 'ear 'im." -</p> - -<p> -"This is a barque," said poor Juggins, "and so's -the <i>Enchantress</i>. But she's at sea, and yesterday -she was in Portland not ready to go for three -days. This is a dream, it's an awful, awful -dream. I'll wake up, I will, I will!" -</p> - -<p> -He hung on the pin desperately, and as he -stood there Dodman walked for'ard to the break -of the poop. He whistled lightly. -</p> - -<p> -"Dodman used to whistle," said the man -in a nightmare. "I used to tell him I wouldn't -have it. I said it was a street-boy's habit. I -shall wake presently, oh yes." -</p> - -<p> -"Who's that jabbering on the main-deck?" -asked Dodman. -</p> - -<p> -"It's me," said the jabberer weakly, as a -cloud of laudanum floated over his brain. "It's -me, and I don't know who I am." -</p> - -<p> -But Dodman jumped as if he had been shot. -This was a voice from the grave; there seemed no -mistaking Brogger's wretched pipe. But before the -second mate could speak Jack Eales intervened. -</p> - -<p> -"'Tis the new 'and wot come aboard at Astoria, -sir. 'Is name is Bill Juggins." -</p> - -<p> -The man from Astoria wavered doubtfully -and looked up at the poop. -</p> - -<p> -"I know that voice," he murmured. "That's -Dodman." -</p> - -<p> -"The pore chap's very drunk yet, sir," said -Eales. -</p> - -<p> -"Take him away for'ard," said Dodman, -with a gasp. -</p> - -<p> -"My name—my name's Brogger!" piped -the man from Astoria. -</p> - -<p> -"It's Juggins—Bill Juggins!" said Eales -firmly, as he took him by the arm. "Brogger's -dead, Juggins. 'E's dead and buried. Lant's -liquor 'as been too much for you." -</p> - -<p> -And Juggins burst into tears. -</p> - -<p> -"I <i>thought</i> I was Brogger," he said feebly. -"But poor Brogger had a beard." -</p> - -<p> -"So 'e 'ad," said Eales; "and 'e was as white -as veal, and you're a fine, 'ealthy, dark colour. -Come back and doss it out, my son. The pafettick -story of the pore chap's death 'as been too -much for you." -</p> - -<p> -He and Corlett led the man for'ard and put -him in his bunk, where he wept copiously. -</p> - -<p> -"What are you so sad about?" asked Corlett. -"You're no better than a soldier!" -</p> - -<p> -The whole watch crowded in after them. -</p> - -<p> -"What's wrong?" they asked. -</p> - -<p> -"The chap that's tanked up says 'e's Brogger," -said Eales. -</p> - -<p> -The whole watch laughed so that the port -watch woke up and cursed them with unanimous -blasphemy. -</p> - -<p> -"But this josser says 'e's Brogger!" urged -the starboard watch in extenuation of their gross -infraction of fo'c'sle law. -</p> - -<p> -"Then 'e's no seaman," said the sulky port -watch, "for Brogger 'ardly knew 'B' from a -bull's foot as a sailorman. Dry up, and let us -go to sleep!" -</p> - -<p> -But Brogger kept on saying he was Brogger, -till Pizzey, the biggest seaman in the port watch, -threatened to bash him if he wasn't quiet. -</p> - -<p> -"But—but I know you all," said Brogger. -"If I wasn't me, how should I?" -</p> - -<p> -"More knows Tom Fool than Tom Fool -knows," said Pizzey. And he used such horrible -threats that the skipper was quailed and became -quiet, and at last fell asleep. -</p> - -<p> -And in the meantime Dodman went down -below and woke up Plump, who was in his first -sleep. -</p> - -<p> -"What's wrong?" asked Plump, as soon -as he found that he was being waked three -hours before his time. "You're as white as -putty, Dodman." -</p> - -<p> -Dodman shook his head and could hardly -speak. When he did speak, Plump fell back upon -his pillow and gasped. -</p> - -<p> -"Brogger ain't dead," said Dodman. "Mr. Plump, -Brogger's on board." -</p> - -<p> -"You're mad!" cried Plump. -</p> - -<p> -"I wish I was," said Dodman. "This is -a Portland plant—this is a coast game. They -shaved him and browned him and drugged him, -and he came aboard at Astoria as a foremast -hand!" -</p> - -<p> -There was a deep silence for at least five -minutes, and then Plump said, almost with a -wail— -</p> - -<p> -"This is most disappointing!" -</p> - -<p> -There was a strange look in Dodman's face; -it was so strange that Plump sat up and looked -at him. -</p> - -<p> -"Between you and me, sir," said Dodman, -"he used to make both of us uncomfortable." -</p> - -<p> -"He did," said Plump. -</p> - -<p> -"And he was no seaman." -</p> - -<p> -"He wasn't fit to sail a paper-boat in a bath," -said Plump. -</p> - -<p> -"Then he's dead," said Dodman with a strange -wink. And Plump's face lighted up slowly. -</p> - -<p> -"He's still dead," said Plump. "And if the -owners don't like it they can lump it. And, -what's more, I don't believe our new skipper -would stand aside now for any man that ever -breathed." -</p> - -<p> -"If he does he's not the man I take him for," -said the second mate. "I shall get up that -blue paint in the forenoon watch, sir." -</p> - -<p> -"Get it up," said Plump. And in ten minutes -he fell fast asleep again. For it takes more -than a little to rob a seaman of his slumber. -But at four bells in the morning watch he had -to communicate the news to the new skipper, -who was an early bird. He broke the news -warily, for he dreaded lest the 'old man' -should do something in a hurry which he and -others might repent of afterwards. -</p> - -<p> -"It would be a mighty strange thing, sir, -if Captain Brogger wasn't dead after all," he -remarked just a trifle nervously after Greig had -walked the deck once or twice. -</p> - -<p> -"He might rise up now and find his ship -missing," said Greig with a chuckle. "After -all, that's only what I did, Mr. Plump. I was -crazy, luny, dotty, and raving with fever before -I was taken out of the <i>Winchelsea</i>, and when I -came to she was days at sea." -</p> - -<p> -He marched up and down again. -</p> - -<p> -"And a dashed good man got my billet," he -said, "and now I don't envy it him. It was a -bit of luck my getting this, Mr. Plump, though -in a way I own I'm sorry that you couldn't have -it. I know that's tough." -</p> - -<p> -Plump sighed. -</p> - -<p> -"I'd ha' had my ticket, sir, but for a fluke -that a youngster going up for second mate might -have been ashamed of. A plus for a minus, and -I was minus. You wouldn't like to step down -for Captain Brogger now, sir?" -</p> - -<p> -"Minus Brogger is plus me," said Greig. -"I'd not step down to loo'ard for all the Brogger -family up from the tomb." -</p> - -<p> -"No more would I, sir," said Plump. -"But——" -</p> - -<p> -"But what?" asked the 'old man.' -</p> - -<p> -And Plump gasped a bit. -</p> - -<p> -"Last night, sir——" -</p> - -<p> -Greig stared at him curiously. -</p> - -<p> -"Don't hang in the wind like that!" he said -sharply. "What is it?" -</p> - -<p> -Plump burst out with what it was, and told -Greig in a fine flow of words what the second -mate had said. -</p> - -<p> -"By crimes!" said Greig. "By all that's holy!" -</p> - -<p> -He walked the deck for a minute, and then -came back and stood close to his mate. -</p> - -<p> -"Have you seen this man?" -</p> - -<p> -"No, sir." -</p> - -<p> -"Did Mr. Dodman believe him?" -</p> - -<p> -"Dodman isn't a fool, sir. No doubt it -seemed to him that the man had heard the -tale of the captain's disappearance, and, having -been on the drink, he took it into his head that -he is Brogger." -</p> - -<p> -Greig turned his back to the mate and stared -to windward. -</p> - -<p> -"It's delirium tremens, of course," he said. -"That's plain. I'll see him after breakfast, -unless he's sober and comes to his senses." -</p> - -<p> -He went below. -</p> - -<p> -"Crawl down now, and for a ghost!" said -Greig. "If I do I'll be damned!" -</p> - -<p> -And just then Brogger was sitting up in his -bunk, chewing his fingers and trying to -reconstruct the lost days. He had elusive visions -of strange interviews, he tasted strange drinks, -his head ached with horrid drugs, he recalled -strange snatches of talk by strangers. And -out of the phantasmagoria of his jumbled vision -there came sometimes the powerful and brutal -face of Lant, of the firm of Lant and Gulliver. -</p> - -<p> -"Someone hit me!" he said aloud. And -Jack Eales, who was wide awake, heard him. -</p> - -<p> -"Where am I? I'm in a dirty fo'c'sle!" -</p> - -<p> -He seemed to remember vaguely that he had -been out on deck in the night. He looked up -and saw Eales' face dimly. -</p> - -<p> -"What ship's this?" he asked. -</p> - -<p> -"It ain't a ship," said Eales; "this is hell!" -</p> - -<p> -Brogger shook his head dismally. -</p> - -<p> -"It ain't—you're jokin' with me! What -am I doin' here? Is this my ship?" -</p> - -<p> -"You was shipped in her," said Eales. "You -came aboard in Astoria. Your name's Juggins." -</p> - -<p> -"I'm Brogger—Captain William Brogger!" -said Brogger. -</p> - -<p> -"Hush, hush!" said Eales. "Don't say -it. All the men 'ere 'as sworn to 'ave Brogger's -life if 'e's alive. They say Brogger was mean, -and made them un'appy. 'E called good sailormen -sojers; 'e give 'em bad grub; 'e wouldn't -'ave no clothes dried in the galley off the 'Orn; -'e never gave 'em no forenoon watch in. In the -dirtiest weather he 'ad 'em makin' sennit between -shortenin' and makin' sail. 'E wasn't no sailor, -they says, to add to it all. And it's a sayin' 'ere -that Brogger saved 'is life by bein' killed, same -as the pig did 'is by dyin'. For Gawd's sake -don't say you're Brogger, or there'll be blood -knee-deep—if there's blood in Brogger!" -</p> - -<p> -"I'll—I'll go aft," said Brogger tremulously. -</p> - -<p> -"Don't you do it!" said Eales. "There's -a new skipper on board; 'e's as fierce and 'ard -as if 'e was a bucko tough out of a Western -Ocean packet of the old days. 'E won't stand -taffy, nor any sort of guff; but 'e'll jump on -your stummick quick." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, what shall I do?" moaned Brogger. -"Why, I know you! You're Eales!" -</p> - -<p> -"And you're Juggins!" said Eales fiercely. -And just then in came one of the port watch and -banged a tin can. -</p> - -<p> -"Starbowlines, ahoy! Turn out, you sleepers!" -he roared. "Turn out, turn out, my bully boys!" -</p> - -<p> -The starboard watch yawned and groaned -and grunted, and showed unwilling legs, and -at last crawled out upon their chests as the -boys brought the tea and grub in. -</p> - -<p> -"Holy Moses!" said big Pizzey; "don't I -remember that there was one of the starboard -watch that allowed he was Brogger?" -</p> - -<p> -"This is 'im," said Corlett, pointing. And -the whole crowd roared. -</p> - -<p> -"'E's no more like old beast Brogger than -I'm like the mate," said Pizzey contemptuously. -For Plump was a nice-looking man, and Pizzey -had a face like a bruised apple. "Where's -your beard, Brogger?" -</p> - -<p> -"It's—it's shaved," said Brogger. -</p> - -<p> -"And where did you get them brown 'ands -and that ma'og'ny face? Brogger was as white -as muck," said Bush. "And, besides, 'e's dead, -and there's no more in it than that." -</p> - -<p> -"I'm goin' aft," said Brogger. "There's a -dreadful mistake somewhere." -</p> - -<p> -But Corlett caught him by the tail of his jacket -and sat him down on a chest suddenly. -</p> - -<p> -"Less talk and more work, shipmate. Eat -your breakfast." -</p> - -<p> -He helped the poor devil to a pannikin of tea -and to a tin plate full of bad bacon. -</p> - -<p> -"This tea's beastly," he declared. -</p> - -<p> -"Brogger's notion of wot's fit for sailors," said -Corlett. "Drink 'is 'ealth in it." -</p> - -<p> -And Brogger drank. The hot infusion of the -Lord knows what did him good. The fumes -of fusel oil and the clouds of laudanum rolled -away from him. -</p> - -<p> -"I know 'em all," he said—"I know 'em, -every one. This is my ship; this is the -<i>Enchantress</i>. If it isn't, I'm mad!" -</p> - -<p> -He rose up suddenly and made a bolt for the -door, and ran aft. As his evil luck would have -it, the very first person he ran against was the -new skipper, who looked at him very fiercely. -</p> - -<p> -"Where the devil are you running to?" asked -Greig, giving him a push in the chest that sent -him reeling. -</p> - -<p> -"I'm Captain Brogger," said Brogger with -the most lamentably weak air of dignity. It -sat on him like a frock-coat on a gorilla. -</p> - -<p> -"The devil you are?" said Greig. "So you're -still drunk. Go for'ard, or I'll cure you so quick!" -</p> - -<p> -But just then Plump came for'ard to the -break of the poop. -</p> - -<p> -"Mr. Plump, Mr. Plump," cried Brogger. -It has to be owned that the mate started just -a trifle at the sound of his voice. "Mr. Plump, -I'm Captain Brogger, and who's this?" -</p> - -<p> -"Stop," said Greig, "stop right here. Mr. Plump, -do you recognise this man?" -</p> - -<p> -It was impossible to recognise him by anything -but his voice, and Plump truly denied that -he saw the least resemblance to the dead skipper. -</p> - -<p> -"Call Mr. Dodman," said Greig. And Dodman -said he couldn't see the faintest likeness. -</p> - -<p> -"Then how do I know you all?" asked Brogger. -</p> - -<p> -"It's my belief you sailed with us three -voyages back," said Dodman. "I seem to -have seen you somewhere." -</p> - -<p> -"That will do," said Greig; "go for'ard and -behave yourself, or you'll find out, whether you're -Brogger or Juggins, or the Lord Muck from -Bog Island, that I'm captain here. Bo'son!" -</p> - -<p> -The bo'son came from the galley, where he -was taking in the situation with the cook. -</p> - -<p> -"Set this man to work," said Greig, "and -keep your eye on him." -</p> - -<p> -And Brogger went for'ard like a lamb. -</p> - -<p> -"It's cruel! it's cruel!" said Brogger. But -in less than two shakes of a lamb's tail he found -himself getting paint out of the bo'son's locker -in company with Corlett and Jack Eales. -</p> - -<p> -"What you've got to do, sonny," said Jack, -who had half a mind to be sorry for him, "is -to do your duty and do it smart and quick. -Just now you're off-colour, so to speak, in spite -of that 'ealthy complexion of yours, and you -don't feel well. Exercise will do you good. -We'll have you on a topsail-yard yet singin' -out: ''Aul out to loo'ard' with the best." He -turned to Corlett. -</p> - -<p> -"What's all this bally paint for, Corlett?" -he asked. -</p> - -<p> -"Blamed if I know," said his mate. -</p> - -<p> -But the other men were rigging up stages -and getting them over the side, while the bo'son -mixed the paint. It was blue, and Corlett -stared hard at Eales. -</p> - -<p> -"Well, I'm d-dashed," said Eales; "this is -the queerest start!" -</p> - -<p> -He watched the bo'son go up to the new -hand and take him carefully by the collar. -</p> - -<p> -"'Ere, you sculpin, take this pot and this -brush and get down on this stage——" -</p> - -<p> -"What for?" asked Brogger. "I'm—I'm——" -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, no, you ain't," said the bo'son quickly,—"you -ain't 'im by a long sight." -</p> - -<p> -"It's blue paint," said Brogger weakly. -"It's blue." -</p> - -<p> -"Very blue," replied the bo'son drily. "And -all that's white you'll paint blue." -</p> - -<p> -He half-lifted Brogger on the rail, and watched -him clamber down upon the stage. A strange, -quiet ripple of laughter ran along the men at -work. -</p> - -<p> -"I—I don't understand," said Brogger to -Eales, who was sitting on the stage with him. -</p> - -<p> -"It's a good sea compliment to them that's -gone," said Eales. "Paint, you beggar, paint." -</p> - -<p> -The bo'son put his head over the rail. -</p> - -<p> -"If you don't get to work, Juggins, I'll have -to come down there and talk with you." -</p> - -<p> -And the man who was spoken to knew of -old what a terror the bo'son could be if he liked. -He shivered and dipped his brush in paint. After -he had made a few feeble strokes, the bo'son's head -disappeared, and Brogger whispered to Eales— -</p> - -<p> -"Who's it for?" -</p> - -<p> -"It's for poor old Brogger," said Eales. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap03"></a></p> - -<h3> -THE OVERCROWDED ICEBERG -</h3> - -<p> -There was a deal of ice about, and it came -streaming south, in all kinds of shapes, right -into the track of ships. There were flat-topped -bergs and ice-fields, and there were all kinds -of pinnacled danger-traps which were obviously -ready to turn turtle and load up any unwary -steamer with more ice than she would ever -require to make cocktails with. That year -ice was reported in great quantities as far south -as latitude 40°, and there is every reason to -believe that there was more ice run into than -was ever reported by one unlucky liner and -five tramps which were posted at Lloyd's as -'Missing.' The Western Ocean is no-peace-at-any-price -body of water, and it tries those who -sail it as high as any sea in the world, but when -the Arctic turns itself loose and empties its -refrigerator into the ocean fairway it becomes -what seamen call 'a holy terror.' For ice -brings fog, and fog is the real sea-devil, worse -than any wind that blows. It was a remarkable -thing in such circumstances that Captain Harry -Sharpness Spink of Glo'ster preserved his -equanimity. As Ward, the mate of the <i>Swan of -Avon</i>, said, he wasn't likely to preserve the <i>Swan</i>. -</p> - -<p> -"Dry up, Ward," said his commanding -officer, "be so good as to dry up. When I -require your advice to run the <i>Swan</i> I'll let -you know, but in the meantime any uncalled-for -jaw on that or any other subject will make -me very cross." -</p> - -<p> -"Do you think you can lick me since you -went to see that swab at the Foreign Office?" -asked Ward, as he edged towards Spink. "Don't -you savvy, Spink, that I'm just as able as I -was before to pick you up and sling you off of -this bridge on to the main-deck?" -</p> - -<p> -"That's as may be," said Spink, "and I -don't deny by any means that you are a truculent -and insubordinate beast. That's why I shipped -you. But it don't follow by no means that -because my unfortunate disposition compels -me to have officers that can lick me, that I -should let 'em navigate the <i>Swan</i> on the high -lonesome principle. As I said before, you will -be so good as to shut your head. Ice or no -ice, I'm going at my speed, not yours. Do -you think you are out yachting that I should -look after your precious carcase?" -</p> - -<p> -"I believe you are ready to cast her away," -said Ward. "Are the bally owners going shares -with you?" -</p> - -<p> -Spink shook his bullet head. -</p> - -<p> -"They ain't, and you know it, Ward. There -are men would take such an insinuation as an -insult, and if I could lick you perhaps I would. -But you know as well as I do that if I wanted -to cast her away I'd not do it here. There's -no kind of fun that I so despise as open boats -in cold weather, and the Western Ocean in -ice-time isn't my market for a regatta. I ain't -called on to explain to a subordinate my idea -in running full speed through this fog and ice, -but out of more regard for your feelings than -you ever show for mine I don't mind revealing -to you that I'm trusting to my luck." -</p> - -<p> -"Your luck!" -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, my luck," replied Spink with great -firmness; "for luck I have and no fatal error. -I've been thinking of it a lot this trip, and come -to the conclusion that I've more solid luck than -any man I know intimate. To say nothing -of my commanding a rust and putty kerosine -can like this old tramp at the age of thirty, -when you, that can lick me in a scrap, have to -be my mate though you're older, didn't I come -out of that little affair at Aguilas with flying -colours?" -</p> - -<p> -"You came out with a hole in the funnel -that you had to pay for yourself," said Ward. -"I don't see where your luck came in." -</p> - -<p> -"Don't you see it might have been worse, -you ass?" cried Spink irritably. "But that's -nothing. What I've been pondering over chiefly -is my very remarkable luck in never having -been caught, for a permanency, by any of the -ladies that have been after me." -</p> - -<p> -"They haven't lost much," said Ward -discourteously. "And I reckon that you are mistook -when you think you're that enticing that women -hankers to drag you in by the hair of your -head and kiss you by force." -</p> - -<p> -"I never said so," replied Spink; "but the -fact remains that I'm not married." -</p> - -<p> -"You're a selfish beast, Spink, and I -sincerely hope you'll be married before you're -through," said Ward. -</p> - -<p> -"You are the most insolent mate I ever -had," replied Spink, "and the most unfeeling. -Did you hear a fog-horn?" -</p> - -<p> -Though it was in the middle of the forenoon -watch it was pretty nearly as dark off the Banks -as it would have been inside a dock warehouse, -for the fog was as thick as a blanket. The -rail and the decks were slimy with it, and the -skipper and his mate were as wet as if it had -been raining. The fog came swirling in thick -wreaths, and sometimes half choked them. The -wind from the north-east was light but very -cold, as if it blew off the face of an iceberg, -as it probably did. The <i>Swan</i> had an air of -thorough discomfort, and in spite of it was -steaming into the west at her best speed of -nine knots an hour. -</p> - -<p> -It is no wonder that Spink and Ward -quarrelled; there was hardly a soul on board who -was not in a bad temper. Nothing disturbs -seamen as much as fog, and the fact that Spink -refused to be disturbed by it made it all the -worse for the others. Ward was distinctly -nervous, and let the fog play on his nerves. He -saw steamers ahead that had no existence, -and heard fog-horns that were nothing but the -sound of his own blood in his ears. -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, I do hear a fog-horn. It's on the -starboard bow," he said anxiously. -</p> - -<p> -"Not a bit of it, Ward, it's on the port bow. -It's some darned old wind-jammer. I'll give -her a friendly hoot." -</p> - -<p> -He made the whistle give a melancholy wail, -which was not answered by the ship for which -it was intended, but by a gigantic liner which -burst through the fog looking like high land, -and booming at the rate of at least twenty -knots. She loomed over them in the obscurity, -and Ward gave an involuntary howl which -fetched the <i>Swan's</i> crowd out on deck in time -to see that there was no need to kick their boots -off and swim for it. They were also in time -to answer the insulting remarks of the liner's -two officers on the bridge, as she scraped past -them with about the length of a handspike to -spare. -</p> - -<p> -"You miserable, condemned tramp," said -the liner as she swept by. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, you man-drowning dogs," replied the -crowd of the <i>Swan</i>. -</p> - -<p> -And everything else that was said never -reached its mark. The liner was swallowed -up, and resumed her attempt to make a good -passage in spite of what she logged as 'hazy' -weather. -</p> - -<p> -"What did I tell you about my luck?" asked -Spink coolly, and Ward very naturally had -nothing to say till he got his breath. What -he said then could only have been said to a -skipper who had so unfortunate a disposition -towards violence that he had to ship officers -who could lick him. -</p> - -<p> -"You are a wonder," said Ward, "and I wish -you had been dead before I saw you. Ain't -you thinking of others' lives if you ain't of your -own?" -</p> - -<p> -"What's the use of arguing with a thick-head -like you, Ward?" asked Spink. "If that -blamed express packet slowed down to our jog-trot -her skipper would feel as sick as if he had -anchored, and he'd log it 'dead slow,' and the -rotters that judge divorces and collisions would -call him the most praiseworthy swine that ever -ran another ship down. What's the logic of -it? Why should I daunder along at five knots? -I might be lingering just where I'd be caught -by such another or by a berg. I trust in -Providence and my luck, and if you don't like it -you can get out and walk." -</p> - -<p> -At this moment a bellow was heard for'ard, -'Ice on the starboard bow,' and Spink, who -for all his talk had the eyes of a cat, motioned -to the man at the wheel to starboard the helm -a few spokes. The <i>Swan</i> ground past a small -berg, and had a narrower shave than with the -liner. -</p> - -<p> -"If we'd been going a trifle slower, Ward," -said the skipper, "I might have plugged that -lump plump in the middle, and you would have -been down on the main-deck seeing the boats -put over the side." -</p> - -<p> -"There's no arguing with you," growled the -mate, "you'd sicken a hog, and I wish it was -Day's watch instead of mine. If he has the -same temper when he wakes that he went below -with, you'll have a dandy time with him." -</p> - -<p> -He relapsed into a silence which Spink found -more trying than open insubordination, for -Spink was a cheerful soul. -</p> - -<p> -"Here, I can't stand this, Ward——" -</p> - -<p> -"What can't you stand?" asked Ward sulkily. -</p> - -<p> -"Not being spoken to, of course," replied -the skipper. "I order you to be more cheerful. -I don't ask you to be polite, for I know you -can't be; but you can talk when you aren't -wanted to, so you just talk now." -</p> - -<p> -"I won't unless you slow down," said Ward. -"I don't see why I should talk and be cheerful -with a sea-lunatic." -</p> - -<p> -"Well," said Spink, "I'll slow her down to -half speed to please you, for the Lord knows -there's enough ice about without my having a -lump of it for a mate. Ring her down to half -speed, and be damned to you!" -</p> - -<p> -Ward rang her to half speed without any -second order. -</p> - -<p> -"And I sincerely hope I shan't regret bein' -weak enough to give way," said Spink, "for -I'm a deal too easy-going and reasonable." -</p> - -<p> -He lighted his pipe and smoked steadily. -As both Ward and Day admitted, he might be -hard to get along with, but he had nerves which -would have done credit to a bull. Most skippers -in the Western Ocean get into the state of mind -which sees disaster before it is in sight, and if -they don't take to drink it is because they die -of continued scares. Spink feared nothing under -heaven, and though he sometimes drank more -than was good for him, it was not because he -wanted it, but because he liked it. There is -a great distinction between these two ways of -drinking. After a few minutes of silence he -turned to Ward. -</p> - -<p> -"Do you feel easier in your mind, Ward?" -</p> - -<p> -"I do," said Ward. "I own it freely." -</p> - -<p> -Spink snorted. -</p> - -<p> -"As sure as ice is ice when you get a command -of your own you'll take to drink," said Spink. -"And now, as you're satisfied at getting your -own way, I'll go below and have a snooze." -</p> - -<p> -About six bells in the forenoon watch the -<i>Swan</i> ran out of 'Bank weather' into beautiful -sunlight, and Ward rang her up to full speed. -All about them were icebergs small and large, -which sparkled like jewels in the sun. There -was one long, low berg right ahead of them, -there was one to the south'ard which was peaked -and scarped and pinnacled into the semblance -of a mediaeval castle. Ward, as Spink said, -had no soul for beauty unless it wore petticoats, -and to him, as to all seamen, ice in any shape -was ugly. -</p> - -<p> -"If he'd had his way she'd have come a -mucker on that beggar ahead," said Ward, as -he passed to windward of the big, table-topped -berg. "I wish we was out of it. This fine -spell won't last long, and there is more thick -weather ahead of us or I'm a Dago." -</p> - -<p> -He gave her up to Day at noon with pleasure, -and took his grub alone as the skipper was fast -asleep. When he turned out again at four -o'clock he found the fog as thick as ever, and -Bill Day as cross as he could stick at having -to yank the whistle laniard every minute or -so. As soon as Ward showed his nose on the -bridge Bill let out at him. -</p> - -<p> -"What kind of a relief do you call this?" -he demanded savagely. "I wish I'd had this -laniard round your neck, I'd have had you -out of your bunk in good time, I swear." -</p> - -<p> -As a matter of fact, Ward was only three -minutes behind time, and always prided himself -on giving a good relief. -</p> - -<p> -"Has Double Glo'ster been worrying you -that you're so sick?" he asked. "You know -damn well that you owe me hours. Oh, don't -talk, go below and die, as you always do when -you see blankets. Has there been much ice?" -</p> - -<p> -"It's blinking all round the bally shop," -returned the second mate. "Didn't you wake -when I stopped her dead?" -</p> - -<p> -"No," said Ward. -</p> - -<p> -"And you talk of my dying when I get below," -retorted Day. He slid off the bridge, and -proceeded to justify the mate's accusation by -falling asleep before his head touched the pillow, -in spite of the melancholy hootings of the <i>Swan</i> -as she picked her way delicately in the fog and -ice. It was very nearly eight bells again before -Captain Harry Sharpness Spink of Glo'ster -showed on deck. As he meant to stay on deck -all night he had really been very moderate. -</p> - -<p> -"So I've missed Newcastle?" he said. -</p> - -<p> -"Lucky for you," returned Ward; "his -temper was horrid." -</p> - -<p> -Spink sighed. -</p> - -<p> -"I'm the most unfortunate man that ever -commanded any blasted hooker that ever sailed -the seas," he said. "Day tries me more than -you do, Ward. There are times I regret I ever -knew him. I must have been brought up badly -to have such a disposition as I have. Well, -well, it can't be helped, a man is what he was -meant to be, there is no get-away from that. -But I should admire to see you plug him. Oh, -I say, it's fairly thick, ain't it?" -</p> - -<p> -It was a deal thicker than much of the -pea-soup served up in the <i>Swan</i>, though Spink -rather prided himself on the way the men were -fed in her. -</p> - -<p> -"Are you nervous?" asked Spink. -</p> - -<p> -"I ain't by any means happy," said Ward; -"and no seaman worthy of the name can be -happy on the Banks in weather like this." -</p> - -<p> -"That's a slur on me, I know," said Spink, -"but I look over it." -</p> - -<p> -"What would you do if you didn't?" asked -Ward. -</p> - -<p> -Spink did not reply to this challenge, and -inside of a minute both he and Ward had -something to think of besides quarrelling about -nothing. The fog lifted for a moment, and -showed ice all about them. The air grew -bitterly cold, and was soon close on the freezing -point, Spink slowed her down again, and -almost literally felt his way through the -obstacles. Once he touched a small berg, but -when he did so he was going dead slow. Ward -stood by and saw the 'old man' handle the -<i>Swan</i> with admiration. When they were once -more through the thick of it he spoke. -</p> - -<p> -"I wish I could understand you, Spink," he -said, with far more respect than he often showed. -"You're the most reckless skipper I ever sailed -with, and now you're more careful than I should be." -</p> - -<p> -"I don't trust in my luck till I can't see," said -Spink, and he turned her over to Ward, saying, -"Go your own pace, my son. It's most agreeable -when you are civil." -</p> - -<p> -And next minute the catastrophe happened, -for at half speed the old <i>Swan</i> bunted her nose -into a low but very solid berg, and the result -was very much the same as if she had tried -conclusions head on with a dock wall. She -crumpled up like a bandbox when it is -inadvertently sat on, and it would have been obvious -to the least instructed observer that her chance -of going much farther was a very small one -indeed. She trembled and was jarred to her -vitals, her iron decks lifted up like a carpet -with the wind underneath it, one of the funnel -stays parted with a loud twang, and the crowd -forward came out on deck as if the devil was -behind them. And the fog was still so thick -that it was impossible to see them from the -bridge. But they soon saw Bill Day, for even -his ability to sleep through most things could -not stand being thrown out of his bunk. -</p> - -<p> -"What's up now?" roared the second mate. -And the skipper showed at his very best. -</p> - -<p> -"Ward would have her at half speed," said -Spink coolly, "and that gave the southerly -drift time to bring that blasted berg just where -it could do its work." -</p> - -<p> -And poor Ward hadn't a word to say. Spink -had plenty. He spoke to the crew below. -</p> - -<p> -"Keep quiet there you," he snapped, without -the least sign of a disturbed mind. And up -came the chief engineer, M'Pherson, in pyjamas -and a blue funk. -</p> - -<p> -"What's happened, captain? Oh, what's gone -wrang the noo?" he cried. -</p> - -<p> -"She's hit more than a penn'orth of ice, -Mr. M'Pherson," replied the skipper, "and if I -were you I'd get my clothes on. Tell me what -water she is making, and look slippy. Mr. Ward, -see to the boats. Mr. Day, take the steward and a -couple of hands and get some stores up on deck." -</p> - -<p> -He was so cool that he inspired unlimited -confidence, although it was now obvious to them all -that the <i>Swan's</i> very minutes were numbered. It -did not require old Mac's report that the water -was coming on board like a millstream to show -them that. The engineers and firemen came -on deck, and Spink addressed them in what he -considered suitable and encouraging terms. -</p> - -<p> -"Now then, you stokehold scum, less jaw -there, you won't get drowned this trip." -</p> - -<p> -They were exceedingly glad to hear it, for -a lot of them were of a different opinion and -said so. There was no time to waste, and -indeed none was lost. The real trouble began -when it was found that one boat wouldn't swim, -after the manner and custom of boats in the -Mercantile Marine, and when another was staved -in by a swinging lump of ice the moment it took -the water. This lump was a small 'calf' of -the larger berg which they had struck on, and -the next moment the original obstacle swung -alongside and ground heavily against the steamer. -</p> - -<p> -"There ain't enough boats," said the skipper. -"Mr. Ward, d'ye think you could hook on to -that berg? We'll have to board it and make -out as best we can." -</p> - -<p> -As the <i>Swan</i> was a vessel of close on fourteen -hundred tons, her kedge anchor ought to have -weighed something like four and a half hundredweight. -As a matter of fact it had once belonged -to something in the shape of a tug, and it weighed -barely two. Ward picked it up as if it was a -toy and hove it on the berg, and followed it with -a warp. -</p> - -<p> -"Bully for you," said the skipper, and as -he spoke the <i>Swan</i> gave forth a noise very much -like a hiccup. "Down on the ice the port -watch, and the others get the stores over the -side. Steward, all the blankets you can get. -Mr. Day, put over the side anything to make -a raft of; we may want one if the berg melts." -</p> - -<p> -Spars and hencoops and everything that -would float went over the side, some of it on -the ice and some of it into the water. A couple -of hands in the only sound boat kept her clear -of the berg and the <i>Swan</i>, and shoved the -floating dunnage to those on the new vessel, which -had promptly been christened 'The Sailors' -Home.' Their late home was about to disappear, -and said so in terms that were quite -unmistakable by the initiated. -</p> - -<p> -"Now then," said Spink, "when the rest -of you are over the side I'm ready. Ward, -take the chronometer as I lower it down. And -be careful with this bag, there's the ship's papers -and my sextant in it." -</p> - -<p> -"Now boom her off," said Spink, "for the -<i>Swan's</i> going." -</p> - -<p> -There was a tremendous crack on board. -</p> - -<p> -"The fore bulkhead," said Spink, and then -the poor old <i>Swan</i> cocked her stern in the air. -A furious gush of steam came up from the -engine-room and all the stokehold ventilators, -until the sea came almost level with the after -hatch. -</p> - -<p> -"She's going down head-foremost," said the -crew, "poor old <i>Swan</i>." -</p> - -<p> -And then there was a mighty shivaree on -board. The whole of the cargo in No. 1 and -No. 2 holds fetched away, and evidently shot -right out at the bows. All this mixture of -cargo must have been followed by the engines -slipping from their beds, for instead of doing -a dive head-foremost, the <i>Swan's</i> stern, which -had been high in air, went under with a big -splash, and she lifted her ragged bows in the -fog before she went down with a long-drawn, -melancholy gurgle. -</p> - -<p> -"She warn't such a bad old packet after all," -said the sad crew. And for at least a minute -no one said another word. Then Ward spoke. -</p> - -<p> -"Where the hell's your luck now, Spink?" -</p> - -<p> -"What's become of your theory that half -speed in a fog is any better than going at it -at my rate?" asked Spink. "You haven't a -leg to stand on, and I don't propose to take -advice from you again. You've disappointed -me sadly! My luck is where it was, except -in the matter of my officers, and it's notorious -that I have no luck with them. We're out of -the <i>Swan</i> without a life lost, we've got heaps -of grub, plenty of blankets, and a fine -comfortable iceberg under us. There's many this -hour in the Western Ocean that might envy us, -and don't you make any error about that. I -come from Glo'ster, and my name is Captain -Harry Sharpness Spink, and drunk or sober -it's as good as havin' your life insured to sail -with me. Oh, I'm all right, and I propose to -plug the first man that growls, if he's as big as -the side of a house." -</p> - -<p> -None of them was in trim to take up the -challenge, and Spink lighted his pipe. -</p> - -<p> -"Three cheers for the captain," said the -crew; and they cheered him heartily, for which -he thanked them almost regally, though he -somewhat spoilt the effect of it afterwards by -telling them to go to hell out of that and pick -a place to camp in at a little distance. -</p> - -<p> -"So far as I can see in this fog there's plenty -of room for everyone," said Spink, as the night -grew dark. That was where he was wrong, for -they soon discovered, by falling into the water -on the far side, that they were on no great ice -island, but had picked a very small berg indeed. -Spink consoled them by telling them that they -wouldn't be on it long, and they could hardly -help believing him as he seemed so certain of it. -</p> - -<p> -"And after all," he said to Day and Ward, -"the old <i>Swan</i> was insured for more than she -was worth, and I shouldn't be surprised if the -owners were pleased with the catastrophe." -</p> - -<p> -He wrapped himself in blankets and lay down. -In five minutes he was breathing like a child. -</p> - -<p> -"I tell you," said the second mate, "the 'old -man' is a wonder, for all we have to treat him -like a kid. I say, Ward, let's be kind to him -to-morrow and say Glo'ster is just as good as -any other county." -</p> - -<p> -"I don't mind," said Ward; "but if we do -he'll take advantage of it." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, let him," said Day. "He's a fair scorcher, -and if he gets too rowdy we can always put -him down. On my soul I'm gettin' to like -him. He's got the pluck of a bull-dog. Where's -old Mac?" -</p> - -<p> -They found Mac sitting in a puddle of melting -ice-water, weeping about his family at Glasgow. -The second engineer, whose name was Calder, -was trying to console his chief by saying it -might have been worse. -</p> - -<p> -"It canna be waur, man," said old Mac. -"What can be waur than bein' wreckit, and on -a wee sma' bit o' ice that's veesibly meltin' as -I sit on it? The cauld is strikin' through to -my very banes, and in the hurry I've had the -sair misfortune to come away wi'out the medicine -for my rheumatics. To-morrow I'll be i' a -knot wi' 'em, and nothing for it but cauld water, -which I couldna abide sin' I was a bairn. And -all my work on the engines wasted. I'm a -mournful man this hour." -</p> - -<p> -He drank something out of a bottle. As he -had left his medicine behind it could not have -been that. It certainly did him no good, for -he wept all the more after taking it, and throwing -himself in Calder's arms he insisted that the -second engineer was his mother, and begged -her not to insist on his having a cold bath. -</p> - -<p> -"He's a puir silly buddy," said Calder, "and -I've no great opeenion of him as an engineer, -though he's no' the fool he seems the noo." -</p> - -<p> -And the night wore away while Mac wept -and Spink slept the sleep of the righteous, and -Ward and Day smoked in silence. As for the -crew, they lay huddled up together, and only -woke to swear at the new kind of 'doss.' On -the whole, everyone but the chief engineer was -not unhappy, and even he, by reason of the -attention he paid to the bottle which did not -contain medicine, fell fast asleep and snored -like a very appropriate fog-horn. The dawn -broke very early, at about three, and it found -most of the inhabitants of the berg still -unconscious. In the night the fog had lifted, and -the sea was almost as calm as a duck-pond. -What wind there was now blew from the west, -and was much warmer than it had been. Within -a mile there were two or three other small bergs, -but when Spink grunted and yawned and crawled -out of his blankets there was nothing else in -sight. -</p> - -<p> -"Humph," said Spink, "this is a rummy go, -and if I didn't come from Glo'ster I should be -in a blue funk. I must keep up my spirits, and -show 'em what my luck's like. I've been in -worse fixes than this many a time, and after -all, with a good seaworthy berg underfoot, and -lashings of grub, I don't see why anyone should -growl. If anyone does I'll knock his head off. -Now, which of these jokers is the cook?" -</p> - -<p> -He found the steward, and booted him gently -in the ribs. At least he said it was gently, -whatever the aggrieved steward thought of it. -</p> - -<p> -"Now then, Cox," said the skipper, "turn -out and find me the cook,—he's one of this -pile of snorin' hogs,—and let's have some -breakfast." -</p> - -<p> -By the time the grub was ready, Ward and -Day were 'on deck,' and the sun was beginning -to think of doing the same. The two mates -looked round the horizon and saw nothing to -comfort them. The only cheerful thing in sight -was the skipper, and for very shame the more -pessimistic Ward screwed up a smile. -</p> - -<p> -"Not so bad, is it?" asked Spink. -</p> - -<p> -"It might be worse, I own," replied the mate. -"What course are you steerin', Spink?" -</p> - -<p> -"Straight for Glo'ster," replied Spink -cheerfully. "How did you chaps sleep?" -</p> - -<p> -Ward said he hadn't slept at all, but Day -averred that he had dreamt he had been locked -in a refrigerator belonging to some cold-meat -steamer from Australia. And just then the -steward said that breakfast was ready. It consisted -of cold tinned beef, iced biscuit, and melted -berg. There were signs of a mutiny among -the crew at once. -</p> - -<p> -"Say, cook, where's the cawfy?" they asked, -and they were only reduced to a proper sense -of the situation by a few strong remarks from -Captain Spink. The riot subsided before it -really began, and all the 'slop-built, greedy -sons of corby crows,' as Spink called them, sat -down meekly and ate what they were given. -And then the sun came up and warmed them, -and they soon began to feel well and happy. -But now the real trouble of the situation began to -develop. The heat of the summer sun when it -once got high enough to do some work began to -melt the berg. It was rather higher in the middle -than it was on the edges, and it was most amazingly -slippery. The water ran off it in streams, -and as it was barely big enough to start with, it -looked as if they would shortly be crowded. -</p> - -<p> -"I never thought of this," said Spink. "I -tell you, Ward, she'll turn turtle before we know -where we are. We must put all the stores in -the boat, and have a man in her to keep her clear -if the berg capsizes." -</p> - -<p> -"Your luck ain't what you let on," said -Ward gloomily; "the thing fair melts under -us, and we'll have to swim." -</p> - -<p> -"To thunder with your croaking," said Spink. -"Oh, do dry up." -</p> - -<p> -"I wish the berg would," said Ward, as he -superintended the shipment of the stores. When -it was done he put a cockney deck-hand into -her and made him shove off. -</p> - -<p> -"Blimy," said Lim'us, "I'm likely to be the -on'y dry of the 'ole shoot." -</p> - -<p> -The word 'shoot' soon threatened to become -highly appropriate, for about noon the berg -was distinctly cranky. However fast it melted -above, it was obviously melting much faster -down below, for they had apparently struck -a streak of comparatively warm water, and -when ice does go it goes fast. The 'crowd' -got very uneasy, and Spink got very cross as -he arranged them so as to trim his craft. -</p> - -<p> -"Sit still, you swine," said Spink. "Do you -want to capsize us?" -</p> - -<p> -"But we're so cold be'ind, sittin' still, sir," -said one bolder than the rest. -</p> - -<p> -"I'll warm you if I have to come over and -speak to you," said Spink, and he presently -undertook to do it. The moment he rose to -carry out his threat the iceberg wobbled in the -most dreadful manner, and so encouraged the -offender that he laughed. -</p> - -<p> -"If you come to 'it me, captain, she'll go -over," he said with a malicious grin. -</p> - -<p> -"So she will," said Ward, laying hold of the -skipper to prevent his moving. But Spink -was not to be baulked. He spoke to another -of the men sitting near the mutineer. -</p> - -<p> -"Jackson, you come here while I go over -there and dress Billings down." -</p> - -<p> -"Don't you go, Jackson, for if you do I'll -dress you down to a proper tune arterwards," -said the insubordinate Billings, as he grabbed hold -of Jackson, who looked at the skipper appealingly. -</p> - -<p> -"What am I to do, sir?" he asked. -</p> - -<p> -"You're to obey orders," said Spink. -</p> - -<p> -"Don't you forgit I'll plug you if you do," -said Billings. -</p> - -<p> -Poor Jackson was obviously in serious difficulties, -for Billings was the boss and bully of -the fo'c'sle. He could even lick any of the -firemen, and there were some very tough gentry -among that gang. -</p> - -<p> -"If I don't come over to you, sir, what will -you do?" Jackson asked the skipper nervously. -</p> - -<p> -"I'll come over to you, if we're in the drink -the next moment," replied Spink firmly. -"Don't any of you Johnnies think you can -best me. Are you coming or are you not?" -</p> - -<p> -Jackson shook his shock head. -</p> - -<p> -"This is very hard lines on a peaceable cove -like me," said Jackson; "but if I am to catch -toko, I'd much rather take it from Billings than -from you, sir." -</p> - -<p> -And as he spoke, he smote Billings very -violently on the nose. Billings, who expected -nothing less, let a horrid bellow out of him and -promptly slipped on the ice. He fell, and slid -overboard with a howl, and the berg came near -to capsizing then and there. -</p> - -<p> -"Well done, Jackson," said Spink approvingly, -as Billings disappeared in the sea, "very well done -indeed." And then Billings rose to the surface. -</p> - -<p> -"Can you swim, Billings?" asked Spink -with an air of kindly curiosity. "Oh, yes, I see -you can, so keep on doing it till you feel a little -less mutinous." -</p> - -<p> -It took Billings rather less than a minute -to become obedient, for though the sea was -warm enough to melt the berg it was by no -means so warm as a swimming bath, and he -presently howled for mercy and was dragged -upon the ice once more. -</p> - -<p> -It was lucky for Billings that the sun by now -was really hot. He stripped off his clothes -and squeezed them as dry as he could, while -he threatened to kill Jackson as soon as he -could. His threats were interrupted by the -sound of a large crack, and presently there -were obvious signs that the berg was about -to capsize. Lim'us got quite excited as they -discussed the situation, and came in close, till -Ward ordered him to get farther away. As -he rowed off reluctantly he encouraged them -by yelling, "She's goin' over! May the Lord -look sideways at me if she ain't." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, oh!" said poor old Mac, "I'm a puir -meeserable sinner wi' a sore head and no medicine, -and I'll be wet in a crack, and I'll die wi'out a wee -drappie. Oh, oh, oh!" -</p> - -<p> -And the berg stopped cracking but took on an -ugly cant. A big lump of ice broke off it down -below and came up to the surface with a leap. -</p> - -<p> -"Steady, you swine," said Spink politely to -his unhappy crew; and Ward asked him where -his luck was. Whatever answer he was to -get he never knew, for with a curious heave -the berg started on a roll, and with a suddenness -which took them all with surprise she bucked -them into the Atlantic, together with what -materials they had for a raft. It was a lucky -thing for at least half of them that there had -been time to save such dunnage from the -<i>Swan</i>, for half the crowd, including M'Pherson -and Day, could not swim a stroke. Ward grabbed -Day and helped him to a spar, and Spink did -the same for old Mac. And in the meantime -Lim'us made everyone furious by squealing with -laughter in the boat. Billings threatened him -with death when he got hold of him, and Spink -had no mind or breath to rebuke the horrid -and bloodthirsty language with which the late -mutineer reinforced his threats. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, oh!" squealed old Mac when the skipper -laid hold of him; "oh, oh, I'm drooned, I'm -drooned! and I've the rheumatism bad in a' my -joints." -</p> - -<p> -And Spink said he was the howling and illegitimate -descendant of three generations without -any character whatever, as he dragged him to -a floating oar alongside the capsized berg. Now -it was not so high out of water, and there was -far more space on it. For some time it would -be comparatively stable, and when Spink -scrambled on it the first of anyone he -congratulated himself on his never failing luck. -He helped the rest on board, and the whole -space was soon occupied by an unclad crowd -wringing the Atlantic out of their clothes, and -trying to get warm in the sun. It was quite -astonishing how cheerful everyone was, with -the single exception of that confirmed pessimist -the chief engineer. At their end of the berg -the men took to skylarking, and Billings actually -forgave Jackson. -</p> - -<p> -"You done what I'd ha' done myself," said -Billings, "for I owns now I'd a'most as soon -take on that big brute Ward as 'ave the skipper -get about me. But when I give 'im that back-talk -I was that icy be'ind that I was like froze -Haustralian mutting, and as cross as if my old -woman 'ad been relatin' what 'er mother thought -of me. I furgives you, Jackson, I furgives you -this once. But don't you hever 'it me on the -smeller agin, or a penny peep-show won't be -in it for the sight you'll be." -</p> - -<p> -It was considered by the crowd that Billings by -this act of nobility had shown himself a 'gent,' and -Billings swaggered greatly on the strength of it. -</p> - -<p> -The crew, of course, did not think. They -were not paid to do so. All that was the officers' -business. It hardly occurred to them that the -ice on which they stood wasn't likely to last -for ever. In the warmth of the sun they forgot -the discomforts of the past night, and did not -think of the night to come. But Ward did, -and he was still very gloomy on the situation. -</p> - -<p> -"Just as she spilt us," said Ward, "I was -askin' you your opinion of your luck. What -do you think of it now? Perhaps you'll use -that regal authority of a skipper to get us out -of the hole you've got us in." -</p> - -<p> -If ever any skipper had the right to be justly -indignant, Spink thought he was that man. -</p> - -<p> -"The hole I got you in! I like that, oh, I -do like that. Who was it, I ask, that pestered -me to go half speed, and almost wept till I said -'Have your own way, you cross-eyed swine'?" -</p> - -<p> -"You never addressed them words to me," -said Ward truculently, "or I'd have given you -what for, and well you know it." -</p> - -<p> -Spink shook his head. -</p> - -<p> -"I ain't sayin' that I used them very words," -he urged, "all I mean is that that was what -I meant when I let you have your own silly -way, which has landed me and Day, to say -nothin' of the rest, on a penn'orth of ice in -mid-Atlantic, more or less." -</p> - -<p> -"Don't bring me into the argument," said -Day. "You're a cunning sort of a chap, Spink, -but you needn't try to raise ructions between me -and Ward, for I won't have it. I know you, Spink." -</p> - -<p> -"I'm a very unfortunate man," said poor -Spink, "for at this very moment I'd give three -months' pay to be able to lick the pair of you. -I did think after what the Chief Foreign Officer -said of my authority that I should be more -civilly treated by my officers, even if I have an -unfortunate disposition which compels me to -lick them if I can. I shipped you two because -I can't, but that ain't any reason for makin' -me miserable, or at anyrate more miserable -than bein' in the position of not bein' able to." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, all right," said Day, "go ahead and -moan. Nobody's stoppin' you, is he? Let him -alone, Ward. He's all right; and as for fightin', -I believe I could teach him to be too much for -myself in a month with the boxin' gloves." -</p> - -<p> -"I wish you would," said Spink. "Oh, Day, -you've no notion how I should enjoy pastin' you." -</p> - -<p> -He fell into contemplation of such a joy, and -did not speak till Ward clapped him on the back -and said he was a very good sort after all. -</p> - -<p> -"And if it's any use to you, I own that my -havin' gone half speed that time may have -put us here. But sayin' so much don't mean -that I now approve of buttin' headlong into -an ice-pack at twenty knots an hour. But to -go back to what I was sayin' before you started -this row, where's your luck, Spink? To my -mind it don't look so healthy a breed of luck -as you let on, and it's my notion that old Mac -is of my opinion, to judge by the sad expression -of his countenance." -</p> - -<p> -"To blazes with the old fool!" said Spink. -"Who cares what he thinks? My luck is where -it was, and I reckon to get out of this with -flyin' colours, and never a man short, and nothin' -against the certificates of any of us. I've noticed -all my life that I seem to be under the especial -care of Providence, and I don't believe Providence -will go back on me after plantin' me here all safe -and sound on an iceberg. Day, rake up that -cook, and give the cockney in the boat a hail. -We'll have some grub. I've a twist on me like -a machine-made hawser." -</p> - -<p> -They went to dinner, and the sun did something -of the same sort. At anyrate it went out -of sight, and a thick fog came down on the -castaways. -</p> - -<p> -"We 'opes no bloomin' packet 'll come and -run us pore blighters down," said the men as -they fell to work on the grub, "for accordin' -to the 'old man,' who is the cheerfulest bloke -in difficulties we ever struck, we're right in the -track of the ole shoot of 'em, and may be picked -up or scooted into the sea again any minute." -</p> - -<p> -As a matter of fact, they were then on the -southern tail of the Bank, for when the <i>Swan</i> -bunted her nose into the berg, she was pretty -well at the locality on the Grand Bank where -the usual 'lane' to New York is left for the -lane to Halifax. The very watch before the -collision they had verified their position by -flying the 'blue pigeon,' as seamen call the -deep-sea lead, and ever since then they had -been floating in the Labrador current to the -south and east. To locate them exactly, they -were just about where the Great Circle Track -of steamers from the English Channel to the -Gulf of Mexico crosses the tail of the Bank. -There was every chance of something coming -along there, even if it was getting late enough -in the season for the big liners to take the route -to the south'ard for fear of the very ice which -had brought them to grief. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, yes," said the crowd, when they were -full up with food, "we're all right." -</p> - -<p> -Nevertheless the fog did not cheer them up -to any great extent, and when it showed signs -of lasting all day they grew less happy. -</p> - -<p> -"A hundred vessels might pass us in this," -said Ward, who for all his bigness had much -less endurance than the skipper, and was now -hardly more cheerful than old Mac. "I wish -I was out of it." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, wish again," retorted Spink -contemptuously. "Do you know, Ward, that you -make me tired? What do you get by howlin' -and growlin'? I know this is goin' to come -out all right, and I won't be discouraged by any -silly jaw of a man that ought to know better. -Shut up." -</p> - -<p> -And to Day's surprise Ward shut up. At -that very moment there came a bellow from -Billings, who had relieved Lim'us in the boat. -</p> - -<p> -"Berg, ahoy!" roared Billings. -</p> - -<p> -"Hallo!" replied the skipper. "What's the -matter now?" -</p> - -<p> -"I 'ears a steamer, so help me Dick!" bellowed -Billings joyfully. "I 'ears 'er plain. Don't none -of you blokes 'ear 'er too?" -</p> - -<p> -There was such a buzz among the crowd that -it would have been hard to hear a fog-horn, and -it was not until Spink had hit three, kicked -half a dozen, and used at least ten pounds worth -of bad language, according to 19 Geo. II. cap. 21, -that anything like silence was restored. Then -it was obvious that Billings had made no mistake. -The sea was fairly calm, the breeze from the west -was light, and any sound carried long and far. -</p> - -<p> -"She's coming from the westward," said -Spink, as he consulted a toy compass on his -watch-chain. -</p> - -<p> -"No," said Day, "she's bound west, or I'm -a Dutchman." -</p> - -<p> -"Then you come from Amsterdam for a -certainty," said the 'old man' crossly. "Now, -men, shout all together when I say three. One, -two, three." -</p> - -<p> -And just as the men yelled there was a hoot-too-oot -from the steamship, which for a moment -made them believe she had heard them. But -Spink knew better, and when there was another -hoot he grabbed Day by the arm. -</p> - -<p> -"By Jemima," said Spink, "we're both -right, Day. There are two of 'em; that second -squeal never came out of the same whistle that -the first one did!" -</p> - -<p> -Now the nature of fog is something that no -fellow can understand. Seamen must not think -they are a long way off if they hear a sound -faintly, or even if they do not hear it at all. That's -bad enough, but there is worse behind. They -are not to reckon they are near because they -hear it plainly, or that it isn't to be heard farther -away at some other spot if they cease to hear -it at all. And, furthermore, any notion that -a sound comes from any particular direction -is the biggest trap of the lot. Now the -uninitiated can understand that they do not -understand, and that seamen are in the same awkward -fix whenever a fog comes down to cheer them -on their weary way. The two steamers coming -out of nothingness and butting into it were -commanded by men who trusted to the evidence -of their senses, as if they were police magistrates -trusting to policemen. They hooted and bellowed -in the most wonderful manner, and said with -one short blast that they were directing their -course to starboard. And as neither knew where -the other was, or where he was himself, they -directed their courses with the most marvellous -precision to the exact spot on the tail of the -Grand Bank in the Western Ocean where they -could collide. And they did so with a most -horrid grinding crash, and with one long, last, -fearful and hopeless wail on their steam-whistles. -</p> - -<p> -"Holy sailor," said the iceberg's crew, "this -time they've been and gone and done it!" -</p> - -<p> -Ward asked Spink sickly if he had any remarks -to make about his luck. Spink hadn't, but -he had some remarks to make about Ward, -which in other circumstances would have led -to war. While he was relieving his overcharged -mind there was a horrid uproar coming out -of the fog, for both the steamships were blowing -off steam, and everyone on board of them appeared -to be running the entire show at the top of his -voice. And just as it was all at its extreme -point of interest the fog played one of its -commonest tricks, and with an anacoustic wall shut -off the whole dreadful play in one single moment. -</p> - -<p> -The castaways turned to each other in alarm, -and Billings, who had nearly lost himself in the -fog, rowed in close. -</p> - -<p> -"I think they've both foundered," said -Billings, and it certainly looked as if he were -right, in spite of what Spink said to him. -</p> - -<p> -"I believe the josser is right," said Day; and -old Mac wept and said he was sure of it, and -that he had the rheumatics badly, and that he -was very cold. And to add to Spink's joy, once -more Ward asked if he still thought he was -under the especial protection of Providence. -Then for the first time Spink lost his temper -and went for Ward, and by dint of taking him -by surprise served him as Jackson had served -Billings. -</p> - -<p> -"Take that, you swab," said the enraged -skipper. "I'll teach you to be so discouraging and -so blasphemous as to cast a slur on Providence." -</p> - -<p> -And when Ward climbed upon the ice again -all he said was— -</p> - -<p> -"All right, Spink, you wait till we're on -board that beastly packet you and Providence -have up your sleeves." -</p> - -<p> -And everyone sat down and smoked, and -said how grieved they were for the poor -unfortunate beggars who had been drowned through -having no nice comfortable iceberg to take -refuge on. Then they had their supper and -went to sleep, leaving all their cares in the -faithful hands of poor Spink. -</p> - -<p> -"Ah," he sighed, "my unfortunate disposition -cuts me off from all real sympathy. -I've no one to confide in at sea or ashore, and -as if bein' a ship-master wasn't solitary enough -I must plug Ward and make him hostile. I -wish I'd been brought up better and licked more -before I got into this fatal habit of fighting." -</p> - -<p> -He couldn't go to sleep, and took to walking -as far as the narrow limits at his disposal would -allow him. When he found that he was in -for a restless night he told the man on the -lookout that he could turn in. Jackson, who -happened to be the look-out, lingered a little before -he did as he was told. -</p> - -<p> -"Do you think, sir," he asked with some -trepidation at his daring to speak to the skipper, -"do you think, sir, that we shall ever get out -o' this?" -</p> - -<p> -"Of course we shall," said Spink. "What do -you suppose I'm here for? Go to sleep, Jackson, -and mind your own business. You'll be all right." -</p> - -<p> -And Jackson, who was a simple-minded -seaman of the real old sort, fell asleep feeling -that the 'old man' was to be relied on even on -an iceberg in the Western Ocean and in a fog as -thick as number one canvas. -</p> - -<p> -For by now the fog was thick and no mistake. -As Spink walked the ice, and squelched with his -sea-boots in the melted puddles, he could hardly -see his hand before his face, and more than once -he nearly walked overboard. At midnight it -was even thicker, and he was obliged to give -up walking and come to an anchor on a tin of -corned beef, and though he was on watch it -has to be owned that he dozed for a few minutes, -just as Lim'us did in the boat which lay a little -way off the berg. When Spink woke he found -it just about as dark as their prospects. When -his eyes cleared, he sighed and looked about him, -with a mind which took some of its tone from the -fog and from the dull dead hour of two o'clock -in the morning. -</p> - -<p> -"I wonder if my luck is out," he sighed, -and he stared solidly into the solidest darkness. -It was certainly monstrously dark in one direction. -He rubbed his eyes and grunted. Then he -lighted a match and looked at his little compass. -His mind went back to the lady in Bristol who -had given it to him. -</p> - -<p> -"She was a very pretty piece," said Spink -thoughtfully. "But I'm damned if I can see -why it should be darkest towards the east." -</p> - -<p> -He rose up and peered into the fog. Again -he rubbed his eyes, and then stood staring. -</p> - -<p> -"Perhaps another berg," he said, "but——" -</p> - -<p> -He stood as still as if his figure had been -turned into stone, and presently he looked to -the sleeping crowd, who were all as solid with -sleep as if they were dead, and nodded in the -strangest way. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, oh, if it is; if it only isn't a horrid -delusion," he murmured. He turned to the darkness -again and shook his fist at it and the fog. At -that very moment the fog rolled up like a curtain. -Right in front of Spink, and not farther than a -man could chuck a biscuit, there lay the strange -and almost monstrous apparition of a silent, -lightless, and derelict steamer! -</p> - -<p> -"What did I say to Ward about Providence?" -asked Spink of the whole Atlantic Ocean. "Ward -cast a nasty and uncalled-for slur on its ways -when he said what he did. But now I've got -the bulge on him, and no fatal error about it." -</p> - -<p> -He rubbed his hands together and smiled -very happily. -</p> - -<p> -"There'll be fine pickings in this and no -mistake," he murmured. "Oh, this'll be -something like salvage. And I'll lay dollars to -cents that I can tell how it ever happened. Ah, -here comes the fog again!" -</p> - -<p> -The fog dropped down in a thin veil, till the -dim and ghostly derelict looked still less -substantial than it had done. Then it heaved and -rolled in, and the deserted packet could be -seen no more. Spink sighed but was happy. -</p> - -<p> -"I'll give Ward the biggest surprise he ever -had in his life," he said, as he turned to the boat -in which young Lim'us was doing a very solid -caulk. Spink kicked some ice into small lumps, -and at the third attempt he hit the sleeper on -the side of his head. Lim'us woke with a start, -and heard the captain's voice just in time to -prevent him threatening to eviscerate the swab -who was slinging things at him. -</p> - -<p> -"Hold your infernal jaw," said Spink in a -savage whisper, "and pull in here quiet, or I'll -murder you." -</p> - -<p> -Lim'us obeyed instantly, though he had -doubts as to whether it was wise to come within -arm's length of the skipper after having been -caught asleep. -</p> - -<p> -"I warn't asleep, sir; stri'my blind if I -was," he began as he came up to the berg. -</p> - -<p> -"Dry up and say nothin'," said Spink. "If -you wake anyone I'll see you don't sleep again -for a week. Hand up some of that truck and -get the stern sheets clear, I want to get in myself." -</p> - -<p> -There was more than a chance of not finding -the derelict and of losing the iceberg, and Spink -knew it. Just as he was about to chance it he -remembered that he had a couple of balls of -strong twine in the bag into which he had dumped -all his belongings, including the precious ship's -papers, when he left the <i>Swan</i>. As he recalled -this lucky fact a heavenly smile overspread his -handsome features. -</p> - -<p> -"It's a splendid notion," said Spink. "I feel -as proud of it as a dog with two tails! I wish -those chaps at the Foreign Office were here now; -they would enjoy it better than a play." -</p> - -<p> -He stepped to his bag as lightly as a Polar -bear after a sleeping seal, and when he found -the twine he tied the end of it to Ward's leg. -</p> - -<p> -"Ward at one end and Providence at the -other," said Spink with a grin. "Oh, won't -he be surprised!" -</p> - -<p> -And the skipper went back to the boat, paying -out the twine as he went. He was chuckling -in the merriest way, and poor Lim'us, who was -cold, and very sick of the whole affair, thought -that the strain had been too much for him. -</p> - -<p> -"'E's balmy on the crumpet, that's what's -the matter wiv 'im," said Lim'us as he obeyed -orders reluctantly, and pulled into the solid -fog with a mad and grinning skipper, who would -probably scupper him as soon as they were out -of earshot of the crew. -</p> - -<p> -"I wish I was in Lim'us," said he. "I'd give -all my wyges to see Commercial Rowd agin." -</p> - -<p> -And still Spink chuckled and paid out the -twine, until suddenly the boat ran into a still -deeper darkness. -</p> - -<p> -"Easy, boy," said the skipper, with a strange -note of exultation in his voice. "Easy, we're -there now." -</p> - -<p> -As he spoke the boat ground up against the side -of the derelict, and Lim'us turned about on the -thwart and touched the iron plates with his hand. -</p> - -<p> -"If you let a yell out of you," said the captain, -"I'll cut your throat from ear to ear." -</p> - -<p> -But indeed Lim'us was incapable of yelling. -All he could do was to gasp, and he did that as -effectively as if he was a bonito with the grains -in him. And the boat drifted towards the vessel's -bows, while Spink looked for the easiest way on board. -</p> - -<p> -"They ran like rats," said Spink. "Oh, I know -the way they ran. They got on board the other -boat, and think this one is now surprisin' the -codfish." -</p> - -<p> -They reached the bows at last, and came -round on the port side, and there Spink found -what he looked for. The vessel had been cut -down to within six inches of the water's edge -about forty feet aft from the bow. -</p> - -<p> -"Just as I laid it out in my mind," said Spink. -"Catch hold you, while I get on board." -</p> - -<p> -He dropped about ten fathoms of the twine -into the water, and with the rest of the ball in -his pocket he scrambled up the horrid gash in -the derelict's side and got on deck. He walked -for'ard and got the twine clear out on the -starboard side, pointing for the unconscious mate. -Then he made it fast and took a look at his new -command. In spite of the fog it was not difficult -to see that she was a fine new boat of about two -thousand tons, built and fitted, as was pretty -obvious from her derricks, for a fast freight boat. -It was equally obvious that the whole crew -had evacuated her in a panic, for Spink found -the skipper's berth with the bed-clothes on the -floor, along with a sad and derelict pair of trousers. -The 'old man' had evidently been in his bunk -instead of being on the bridge, and, so far as -Spink could see, he had stayed to grab nothing -but the ship's papers, without which there can -be no maritime salvation. -</p> - -<p> -"This will be a very valuable salvage job," -said Spink, as he licked his lips after taking a -pull at a bottle of whisky which he found only -too handy to the lips of the former skipper. -"There's money in this, oh, lots of it. And -now I'll show Ward where my luck comes in. -And I'll have old Mac and Calder patch up that -rent in her before it comes on to blow again." -</p> - -<p> -He put the bottle in his pocket and went -for'ard, feeling a deal more proud than if he -owned a fleet. For the deserted steamer, the -name of which was the <i>Winchelsea</i> of Liverpool, -was a direct proof that his luck was still what -it had been. He found the end of the twine, -and hauled in the slack very cautiously. -</p> - -<p> -"I wish I could see his face," said Spink, as he -gave the twine a yank which made Ward sit up -suddenly and wonder what had happened to him. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, oh, oh!" said Ward. The ice was nearer -than it had been, and what he said was quite -audible on board the <i>Winchelsea</i>. -</p> - -<p> -"Eh, what?" said Ward. And then Spink -gave the line another yank which almost started -Ward on an ice run for the water. But this -time he found out what was the matter, and -laid hold of the twine. -</p> - -<p> -"Who the devil's pulling my leg?" he roared -in such stentorian tones that the whole crowd -woke up instantly. -</p> - -<p> -"I am," said Spink. "And I'll thank you to -pay attention, and not lie there snoring while I -do all the work." -</p> - -<p> -"Where are you?" asked Ward. "I can't -see you." -</p> - -<p> -"Where d'ye think I am?" asked Spink. -"While you were asleep I went out and looked -for a new job and found it." -</p> - -<p> -As he spoke there were sudden signs of dawn, -and once more the curtain of the mist rolled -away, and the late crew of the <i>Swan</i> saw a big -steamer within fifty feet of them, with the late -skipper of the <i>Swan</i> leaning over her side smoking -his morning pipe. -</p> - -<p> -"Jerusalem!" said the crew, and they shook -their heads with amazement, while Ward scratched -his. Day whistled, old Mac burst into joyful -tears, and Billings used some awful language -to show his gratitude. And Spink said— -</p> - -<p> -"When you have washed and shaved and put -on clean collars, I should be much obliged by -your coming on board and doing enough work to -melt the hoar-frost that's on you. Limehouse, -scull over to the berg, and look slippy about it." -</p> - -<p> -In ten minutes they all found themselves on -board, and Mac and Calder set to work before -breakfast to patch her up. The engines and -furnaces were still warm, and it took little time -to get up steam. But Ward took some to get up -his. As he said, it was a fair knock-out, and -it seemed like some black magic on the part -of the skipper, who walked the bridge after -breakfast as if he owned the whole North -Atlantic. -</p> - -<p> -"She was bound for England, and we'll go -home," said Spink. "And as soon as may be -we'll find out what's in her. This is my first -salvage, and it's goin' to be a good one." -</p> - -<p> -"You're a wonder," said Ward. -</p> - -<p> -"Didn't I always say so?" replied Spink -modestly. "And now I hope that you and Day -will behave yourselves, and not trade on any -weaknesses that I may have, for I won't put up -with it if you do." -</p> - -<p> -"How do you propose to stop it?" asked -Day. "You can't plug me or Ward any better -now than you could before. Why don't you -behave? Then there would be no trouble. I'm -fair sick of hearin' about your unfortunate -disposition." -</p> - -<p> -"So am I," said Ward. -</p> - -<p> -Spink shook his head with disgust. -</p> - -<p> -"And this kind of talk after what I've done," -he said. "I wish you would read old Kelly's -little book on the Mate and His Duties, Ward. -It would teach you how to behave." -</p> - -<p> -"I had it in the <i>Swan</i>," said Ward, "but -though it had a lot in it about land-saints and -sea-devils, there was nothin' in it that fitted a -man like you." -</p> - -<p> -"Perhaps not," said Spink thoughtfully. "I -own I'm rare, I'm very rare." -</p> - -<p> -The fog cleared right off, and the sun shone -and the calm sea sparkled. In such circumstances -everyone ought to have been happy, but Spink -said he wasn't. -</p> - -<p> -"I wish I wasn't so rare," said Spink. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap04"></a></p> - -<h3> - THE REMARKABLE CONVERSION OF<br /> - THE REV. THOMAS RUDDLE<br /> -</h3> - -<p> -The passengers on board the s.s. <i>Nantucket</i>, -bound from New York to Table Bay, were of a -kind to make any old-fashioned seaman shake -his head and talk dismally of Davy Jones. They -were nearly all ministers and missionaries, and -it is well known to all who follow the sea that -gentlemen of that kind are unlucky to have on -board. For Davy Jones is the very devil, and -if he gets a chance to drown a minister he does -it at once, so that he may do no more good. -There can be no mistake about this, for every -sailorman of great experience will endorse the -theory with strange oaths. What all sailors -say must be true, for they know their business. -</p> - -<p> -One of these missionaries was the Reverend -Mr. Ruddle, and he was the chief of all the -others, who were going to South Africa to do it -good. There were six of them all told. Thomas -Ruddle had his wife with him, for he could not -exist without her; and she, for her part, thought -him a marvellous man and a darling. He had -a beautiful smile, and a big black beard, and a -voice like the bellow of an amiable bull. But -Mrs. Ruddle was blue-eyed, with the complexion -of a Californian peach and a voice like a flute. -She would have followed him to Davy Jones' -locker itself if he had asked her, and though he -did not think of doing anything so unorthodox, -they were not far from having to go there without -the consent of anyone. For when the <i>Nantucket</i> -was within two hundred miles of Capetown -it came on to blow from the south-east as if the -very devil was at the bellows, and after the old -packet had proved that she hadn't sufficient -power to make headway against the gale, she -promptly cracked her shaft, and went drifting -away to loo'ard like a Dutch schuyt on a lee -tide. -</p> - -<p> -"It is a very sad misfortune, and I do not -know now when we shall be in Africa," said -Tom Ruddle. "I regret to say, my dear, that -the captain is on the main-deck using very bad -language to the chief engineer, who is replying -to him in a way that I cannot approve. Indeed, -I think he swears worse than Captain Stokes, -if it is possible, which I doubt." -</p> - -<p> -The other gentlemen in black mostly kept to -their cabins, but Ruddle went about in the most -astonishing way. If the <i>Nantucket</i> stood on her -head Ruddle never lost his feet, and when she -stood on her tail he was quite at his ease. When -she indulged in a wild compound wallow in -those delightful cross pyramidal seas which are the -peculiar attribute of the South Atlantic in the -neighbourhood of the Cape, all that Tom Ruddle -said was 'Dear me.' He even said it when -Captain Stokes did a flying scoot on the main-deck, -and brought up against the rail with a crash -that almost unshipped his teeth. What Stokes -said was not 'Dear me.' And the old <i>Nantucket</i> -went drifting west-nor'-west on the branch of -the current, coming round the Cape, which -runs far to the north of Tristan d'Acunha, as -if she had put Africa out of her mind. Down -below the engineers were trying very hard to -fake up something to brace round the shaft, -so that they could at least turn the engines -ahead when the weather let up a little. It seemed -a hopeless job, and to none so hopeless as to -the engine-room crowd. And just as perseverance -with the impossible seemed about to be -rewarded, the <i>Nantucket</i> gave a wallow in an -awful sea, and quietly dropped her propeller as a -scared lizard drops its tail. Then very naturally -the wind took off, and the sea went down and -smoothed itself out, and looked quite pretty to -those who had been watching the grey waste -in despair. -</p> - -<p> -"We're done," said the skipper. For the -idea of sailing her into Table Bay was as feasible -as sailing her to the moon. The wind, although -it had fallen light, was still in the east, and -it threatened to stay so till it blew another -gale, after the fashion of Cape weather, where -fifty per cent. of all winds that blow are gales. -</p> - -<p> -"It is exceedingly unfortunate," said Ruddle. -</p> - -<p> -"What will happen to us?" asked his fellows -in deep melancholy. -</p> - -<p> -"Something must," said their brave leader, -and sure enough it did. A sailing ship hove in -sight to loo'ard. The skipper, as soon as he -heard of the stranger, made up his mind what to -do. He hoisted the signal 'In distress—want -assistance,' and presently the sailing ship came -up under her lee within hailing distance, and -backed her main-topsail. -</p> - -<p> -"Are you bound for Table Bay?" asked -Captain Stokes, and the obliging stranger said -he was. In ten minutes it was all arranged, -and the <i>Nantucket's</i> passengers were being -transhipped to the <i>Ocean Wave</i> of a thousand -tons register, belonging to London. Stokes -went on board with the last boat, and shook -hands with the master of the <i>Ocean Wave</i>. -</p> - -<p> -"When you get in send a tug out to find -us," said Stokes; "it's goin' to blow heavy -in a while." -</p> - -<p> -"I'll do it," said Captain Gray; "but are -you sure that you won't come along?" -</p> - -<p> -"I'd go under first," said Stokes; "I'll stick -by her till I'm as old as the Flying Dutchman, -and my beard is down to my knees." -</p> - -<p> -It was very rash to say such things in the very -cruising ground of Vanderdecken, and some -of the crew of the <i>Wave</i> that heard it shivered. -But Stokes was a hard case, and believed in -nothing. He said good-bye to his passengers -and went on board the <i>Nantucket</i>. The <i>Ocean -Wave</i> boarded her maintack and stood on her -course with her new crowd of passengers, who -were very much delighted to be on board something -that did not go to leeward like a butter-cask. -</p> - -<p> -"How strange to be on board a sailing ship," -said Ruddle, as he stood on the poop with the -skipper, who was a genial old chap with a white -beard, and a figure as square as a four-hundred -gallon tank. -</p> - -<p> -"Why strange, Mr. Ruddle?" asked Captain -Gray. "Barring your rig-out you look a deal -more like a seaman than a parson, at least you -do to my eye." -</p> - -<p> -"Your eye is right, captain," said Ruddle -with a sigh. "But it is a very remarkable -thing that though I have been a sailor I know -nothing about the sea that I have not picked -up on board the unlucky steamer we have just -left." -</p> - -<p> -"That's a very strange thing to say, sir," -said the skipper, as he eyed Ruddle from head -to foot. "May I ask how you make that out? -Once a seaman always a seaman, I should say. -I can't imagine my forgetting anything. I never -could." -</p> - -<p> -"It's a very strange story," said Ruddle; -"and if there wasn't evidence for it I shouldn't -believe it myself. But in my pocket-book below -I have my old discharges as mate, and yet at -the present moment there is no one on board -who knows less about the sea than I do, though -I hold a master's certificate." -</p> - -<p> -"Spin us the yarn," said the skipper, and -Ruddle told him the strange tale. -</p> - -<p> -"I am informed," said the minister, "that I -was, at the time I am about to mention, mate in -a ship belonging to Dundee. I say I am told, -because I have not the least recollection of it. -To put it shortly, I may tell you that I had an -accident, and when I became sensible again I -was in hospital in Liverpool." -</p> - -<p> -"But what was your accident?" asked -Captain Gray. -</p> - -<p> -"Something that I am told you call a shearpole -came down from aloft and struck me on the -head, and I knew no more," said Ruddle, -who was evidently a very poor hand at a -yarn. -</p> - -<p> -"Well, well, go on," said the skipper. "What -happened then?" -</p> - -<p> -"How do I know?" asked Ruddle in his turn. -"I was knocked silly while the crew were taking -in sail in a very great storm to the south of -Ireland, and they say I was very angry with -the poor fellows up aloft and was using dreadful -language to them. I was struck down, and -when I came to myself I was not myself at all -but another,—if I do not sadly confuse you by -putting it that way,—and I had forgotten all that -had happened since I went to sea, and I did -not want to go again. I became a minister -instead and a missionary." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, I'm jiggered," said Gray, "but that's -a corker of a yarn. Were you married when -you were a seaman?" -</p> - -<p> -"No," replied Ruddle; "I met my wife soon -after I became my second and present self, -and my remarkable story so interested her that -we got married. It is interesting, isn't it?" -</p> - -<p> -"And do you mean to say that you remember -nothing whatever of the sea? Could you go -aloft, for instance?" -</p> - -<p> -Mr. Ruddle looked up aloft and shivered. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, I couldn't," he said. "The very look -of the complicated apparatus with which I must -have been once only too familiar fills me with -peculiar horror." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, I'm damned," said Gray. "What's -the opposite point of the compass to -sou'-east-by-sou'-half sou'-southerly?" -</p> - -<p> -"I give it up. Tell me," said the minister -simply. -</p> - -<p> -Gray shook his head. -</p> - -<p> -"You surprise me, sir. Can you tell when -there is a mighty strong likelihoods of bad -weather comin' along?" -</p> - -<p> -"I'm not at all bad at guessing when it's likely -to rain," said the former mate modestly. "I'm -never caught in a shower without my umbrella." -</p> - -<p> -And Gray shook his head again, and confided -to the sea and air that Ruddle was a red wonder. -</p> - -<p> -"If you don't know more about weather -than that, you are going to have a fine chance -to learn, Mr. Ruddle," said the skipper. "I -smell a howling gale or I'm a double-distilled -Dutchman. If it don't come out of nor'-east -like a rampin', ragin', snortin' devil, call me -no sailor, but the reddest kind of sojer." -</p> - -<p> -There were many signs of it, and the fall of -the glass was only one. The swell that had been -coming in from the south-east now began to -come more from the north, and the whole of the -horizon was in a kind of smoke. The wind, -which had fallen so light, now began to puff -a little, and though it was no more than a breeze -that any man's t'gallan's'ls could look at -comfortably, there were odd sighs in the wind, -sighs which had a rising tendency to become -wails. Before long they would be wailings -and no mistake, for these sounds are the real -voice of a hurricane, and foretell it. The skipper -looked up to windward and spoke to his mate. -</p> - -<p> -"Mr. Dixon, I think we had better snug her -down a bit before it gets dark, so clew up the -t'gallan's'ls, and then we'll take the mainsail -off her. And after that you can reef the foresail. -While the breeze holds in the nor'-east we'll -make all we can. But I reckon we'll be hove -to by the morning." -</p> - -<p> -There wasn't much doubt of that to those who -knew something of Cape weather. The Cape -pigeons as they wheeled and whistled about the -<i>Ocean Wave</i> said 'clew up and clew down.' At -anyrate, the crew for'ard said so as they -turned out to shorten sail. Mr. Ruddle went -below to encourage his companions and his wife. -By the time it was as dark as the bottom of -a tar-barrel they wanted encouragement, for -the <i>Wave</i> began to pitch in a manner that the -<i>Nantucket</i> had not accustomed them to, and as -the wind increased the song of the gale in the -rigging got on their nerves sadly. -</p> - -<p> -"What do you think of it, Brother Ruddle?" -asked his friend Chadwick, a little butter-tub -of a man with the courage of a lion among the -heathen or the denizens of a New York slum, -but without as much spirit when the wind blew -as would enable a school-girl to face a cow in a -lane. "What does Brother Ruddle think of it?" -</p> - -<p> -Ruddle said that he did not think much of it, -for he thought the skipper was not frightened. -</p> - -<p> -"Although the sea threatens to rage, my -friends," said the chief, "he shows no signs -of unseemly terror, but with calm confidence -bids his brave crew haste up aloft and reduce -the mighty spread of canvas. They are even -now engaged in the task. Hear with what -strange music, which somehow begins to have -a familiar ring in my ears, they encourage each -other in their arduous duties. Oh, my friends, -we little think when we are safe in the heart of -Africa, or in the back parts of the Bowery, how -seamen encounter dangers on our behalf." -</p> - -<p> -"Ah, and you were a sailor once, Tom," said -his wife. -</p> - -<p> -"I do not praise myself, dear, in praising -them, for now I dare not face those dangers with -which at one time I must have been familiar. -It is wonderful, all life is wonderful. If I had not -been smitten upon the head by a shearpole, -whatever a shearpole may be, I might never -have known any of you, my dear friends; and -I might never have married you, my dear. -Ah, it is a wonderful world, and they are making -a very remarkable noise upstairs." -</p> - -<p> -They certainly were making a noise, and so -was the wind, and Mr. Dixon was saying very -unorthodox things, and so was Smith the second -mate. And every now and again the skipper -could be heard in exhortation, so that Susan -Ruddle snugged up alongside her husband, and -said that she was glad he was not a seaman, -though that she was sure that if he were -one now he would never employ such language. -Ruddle comforted her, and said it would fill -him with horror to know that he had ever used -any of that kind of talk. He felt sure in his -mind that the report of his having ever done -so must have been a malicious invention of -some enemy. Since he had borne up for the -Church he had been, as all men knew, of a -scrupulousness which was extra Puritanical even -for a minister. He never said 'damn' unless -he had to in the course of his duty. -</p> - -<p> -Presently the <i>Ocean Wave</i> began to behave -herself a little better under shortened canvas, -and the old skipper came into the cabin with -his face shining with spray, and a good-natured -grin on him which would have encouraged -the biggest coward at sea in a cyclone. Little -Mrs. Ruddle cheered up on sight of him, and so -did all but the Reverend Mr. Blithers, who was -in a state of terror that was sheer lunacy. -</p> - -<p> -"Is it a great storm? Are we going down?" -asked Blithers. He was so far encouraged -that he could speak. -</p> - -<p> -"Bless my heart," replied the skipper, "what -are you thinking of, in a nice breeze like this, -and in a sailin' ship too? If you was in an old -smokestack like the one I took you gents out of -you might howl, but here you are in a fine tight -ship, the real genuine article, and are a deal -safer than if you was ashore." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, do you say so?" asked Blithers. "Oh, -is it possible that you can say so with the wind -howling like this?" -</p> - -<p> -And indeed the gale began to pipe as if it meant -business. -</p> - -<p> -"Hold your tongue, Blithers," said Ruddle; -"be a man and a missionary, and do not howl." -</p> - -<p> -Blithers said his brother was unkind, and -ought to be more gentle with a weak vessel. -And at that the skipper put in his oar, and -suggested that so weak a vessel should not carry sail -but retire to his cabin. At this Ruddle laughed -jovially, and Blithers said he was hard and cruel, -and devoid of all real religious feelings. -</p> - -<p> -"Don't be a fool, my dear man," said Ruddle, -"but go to bed. It is perhaps natural to be -upset by the strange uproar, and the noise of -the wind, and the trampling of the men on deck, -but that is no reason why you should say I am -not religious. If I were not I should be angry -with you and say regrettable things, such as I -am informed, on very good authority, that I -said when I was a seaman." -</p> - -<p> -"I don't believe you ever were one," said the -sad and angry Blithers. "And if you were, it -is a pity you did not stay one, for you are -a very unkind man, and not good to me in my -sad state of mind." -</p> - -<p> -It took five missionaries to get Blithers into -bed, but he went at last, and when he was gone -Ruddle beamed on the rest, and said— -</p> - -<p> -"Our poor brother is sadly upset by the -weather. It is difficult to understand how he -can be such a coward on the water when he is -a real hero on the dry land, and has an especial -gift of management with backsliding cannibals. -But anything can be believed when you remember -that I was once in the position of Mr. Dixon, -whose voice I now hear saying something about -the lee-braces, and knew all about everything -on board a ship. And now, my friends, all -things here are mystery to me, and I do not -know what the lee-braces are, and cannot -distinguish with accuracy between a binnacle -and a bull-whanger, if indeed there is such a -thing as I was told by one of the seamen on the -<i>Nantucket</i>. Ah, hold tight, dear, she is rocking -to and fro with ever increasing velocity. I fear -that Blithers will never forget this night." -</p> - -<p> -And they all had supper. The 'old man' -sat it out with them, and put on his oilskins -again and went on the poop. There was no -mistake about it now. The <i>Ocean Wave</i> was in -for a Cape stinger, and Gray, who was of the -old-fashioned, bull-headed sort, rammed her along -on the very path the cyclonic disturbance was -taking. If he had been thoroughly acquainted -with the nature of all cyclones wherever they -are bred, he would have turned tail to the blast, -and have run into fairer weather towards the -south; or, as the <i>Wave</i> was in the southern -semi-circle of the storm, he might have hove her to -on the coming up or starboard tack. Instead -of that he hung on all through the night. When -the dawn came it was a fair howler and no -mistake. Mr. Blithers and not a few of the others -stayed in their bunks. It was blowing hard -enough to make almost anyone ill, and the sea -was very high. But Thomas Ruddle and his -wife and Chadwick turned out to breakfast. -</p> - -<p> -If Ruddle trusted to Providence, Susan Ruddle -trusted to him, and hardly thought it possible -that any disaster could happen to her while -he was to the fore. Mr. Chadwick was brave -enough to hide his terror, though he was in a -horrid funk. They hung on to the tables and -ate some breakfast as best they could, and -after eating, Ruddle and Mrs. Ruddle and -Chadwick ventured on deck, in time to see the -reefed foresail taken off her. Just as they -got the weather clew-garnet chock up, the gale -came screaming across the waste of grey sea -to such a tune that the skipper altered his -mind there and then. -</p> - -<p> -"Hold on with the lee gear of the foresail, -Mr. Dixon," he bellowed, and then he signed to the -mate to come aft. -</p> - -<p> -"We'll wear her now and heave her to on -the starboard tack," said the 'old man.' "This -is going to be a fair perisher." -</p> - -<p> -As Dixon had been throwing out hints all -night that he ought to do that or run, he was -glad to hear it. They waited for a smooth, -and put the helm up. -</p> - -<p> -"Square the after yards!" roared the skipper; -and they squared away, keeping the sails lifting. -</p> - -<p> -"Isn't it wonderful?" said Ruddle. "I do -wish I understood it. I wonder what they are -doing it for?" -</p> - -<p> -"Square the foreyard!" yelled the captain; -and they did so, and got the staysail sheet over, -and by proper management she came up on -the other tack with her nose pointing N.N.E. -They hauled up what was now the weather -clew of the foresail, and the second mate and the -men jumped aloft and furled it. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, dear," said Mr. Ruddle, "how dreadful -to see them up there! I can't believe that I -ever did it, Chadwick." -</p> - -<p> -But the <i>Wave</i> was carrying her topsails, and -though they were reefed she was scooting with -her lee-rail awash. As soon as the foresail was -stowed, both topsail halliards were let go and -the sails partly smothered by the spilling lines. -When they were furled, the lower foretopsail -was clewed up, and Ruddle, who got much -excited, went down on the main-deck in spite -of the seas which came over right for'ard by -the galley. Mrs. Ruddle said, 'Oh, don't,' but -Ruddle said, 'My dear, it is so interesting, and -I must.' And there he was staring up at the -crowd on the topsail-yard who were fighting -the bellying canvas like heroes. -</p> - -<p> -"Bless my soul, how very remarkable, and -even terrible," said Ruddle. "How very -extraordinary. I wonder if I ever did that, I'll ask -Mr. Dixon if the manoeuvre is often performed." -</p> - -<p> -He fell upon the busy and very cross mate -with this inquiry, and though Dixon had heard -the tale about him he did not credit it, and put -it down to some hallucination. -</p> - -<p> -"Do I do it often? Do what often?" asked -Dixon scornfully. -</p> - -<p> -"Why, tie those sails up like that when it -blows so hard?" asked Ruddle innocently. -"Why don't you tie them up when it is fine? -It would be much easier I should think." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, go home and die," said the mate -savagely. -</p> - -<p> -"That's very rude," said Ruddle, "and I -don't like it." -</p> - -<p> -"If you don't like it you can lump it," said -the mate. "Haven't you more sense than to -come worrying here in a gale of wind?" -</p> - -<p> -"Is it a real gale?" asked Ruddle. "A very -hard one?" -</p> - -<p> -It certainly looked like one, for every squall -came harder and harder, so that the topsail -when it was once smothered was blown out -of the men's grip, and was all abroad and bellying -once more. -</p> - -<p> -"Damn your eyes, hold on to it or you'll lose -the sail after all!" yelled Dixon. But no one -heard him on the yard, they were at grips -with the canvas again, and the second mate -and the bo'son at the bunt were doing all the -cursing that was necessary for a task like that. -</p> - -<p> -"They seem to be working very courageously, -and I think it wrong of you to swear at them," -said Ruddle severely; and then Dixon turned on -him as if he were going to hit him. At that -moment a fresh squall struck the <i>Wave</i> and -almost laid her on her beam ends, though she -was practically hove to under the lower -maintopsail. -</p> - -<p> -"I never swear," said Ruddle, as the mate -lifted his fist. Then the squall shrieked, and -as the <i>Wave</i> laid over to it both Ruddle and the -mate lost their footing, and slid between the -fo'castle and the fore part of the deck-house -as if they were on an ice toboggan run. The -mate said some awful things, and Ruddle gasped, -'You shouldn't, oh, you really shouldn't.' And -then they fetched up against the lee-rail with -a thump that caused a common accident and -wrought a very uncommon miracle. Mr. Dixon -snapped his arm like a carrot, and let a yell out -of him that reached the crowd on the yard. -</p> - -<p> -"By crimes!" said the men up aloft, "when -old Dickie squeals like that he means comin' -aloft himself to talk to hus like a father. Now -then, boys, grab again and 'old 'er!" -</p> - -<p> -As they tackled the topsail for the third time -the cook came out of the lee door of the galley -and picked the mate out of the swamped scuppers. -</p> - -<p> -"Easy, easy, you swab," said Dixon. "My -arm's broke." -</p> - -<p> -With the cook's help he got aft, and when he -did he promptly sat down in the cabin and -fainted right off with the pain. And Ruddle -still wallowed in the scuppers, for he had hit -the rail with his head and given it a most -tremendous and effectual thump. After a minute or -two he stirred and spat out a mouthful of salt -water. He also shook his head and rubbed -it. Then he sat up and said— -</p> - -<p> -"Well, I'm damned! What has happened?" -</p> - -<p> -He shook his head again, and suddenly jumped -to his feet. The miracle happened, and they all -heard it. Tom Ruddle in the old days had -the very finest foretopsail-yard ahoy voice -that ever rang across the wastes of ocean. It -came back to him now. -</p> - -<p> -"Ain't you dogs got that topsail stowed yet?" -he roared in accents that made the second mate -on the yard shake in his rubber boots. "Oh, -you slabsided gang of loafers, oh, you sojers, -dig in and do somethin', or before you know -I'll be up there and boot you off the yard." -</p> - -<p> -The entire crowd on the yard was so paralysed -by what they heard that they turned and looked -at him, and very promptly lost all that they -had gained the last bout. To see a minister -suddenly become a seaman and use such language -was enough to scare them into loosing the -jack-stay and tumbling overboard. -</p> - -<p> -"Jehoshaphat!" said they, "what's gone -wrong with him?" -</p> - -<p> -And the second greaser was just as much -surprised as any of them; so much so, indeed, -that he could not swear. Ruddle did it for -him, and his language was awful, full, abundant, -brilliant and biting. He told the second mate -what he thought of him, and what he thought -of all his relations; and he confided to the storm -what his opinion of the crew was and always had -been; and of a sudden he made a bound, and -jumping on the rail ran up the rigging like a -monkey, and before they could gasp he was -right in among them at the bunt, exhorting them -as if they were impenitent mules. -</p> - -<p> -"Now, now, up with it, you no sailors, you!" -he roared, as his long black coat flapped in the -wind like Irish pennants. He dug into the -bellying canvas with the clutch of a devil's claw, -and the crew sighed and were subdued to the -strange facts, and did as he told them like the -best. There was now a sudden scream from -aft. Mrs. Ruddle caught sight of him on the -yard, and Chadwick cried out— -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, it was your husband that was swearing so." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, Tom, Tom," screamed his wife, "come -down, come down!" -</p> - -<p> -And she screamed again, and Ruddle heard -it and swore vigorously. -</p> - -<p> -"What's a woman doin' on deck in such -weather?" he cried, as he clawed at the sail -and held it with his stomach, and yelled in unison -with the second mate, who now began to see the -joke of it. -</p> - -<p> -"Where does he think he is?" he said; and -at that moment the last great fold of the top-sail -rose in the air like a breaking wave, and -with one yell of triumph the whole of the crowd -threw themselves on it and smothered its life -out. -</p> - -<p> -"Sock it to her!" roared Ruddle triumphantly, -as he dropped the gathered bunt into the skin -of the sail and reached for the bunt gasket. -</p> - -<p> -"There you are," said Ruddle; and then for -the first time he looked at the second mate, -and an expression of the blankest amazement -passed across his face. -</p> - -<p> -"Who the devil are you?" he asked. "I -never saw you before." -</p> - -<p> -It was almost impossible to make one's self -heard in the howl of the gale, but Ruddle did -it, and the crowd, with a grin on all their -weather-beaten and hairy countenances, waited to hear -Mr. Smith's answering yell. -</p> - -<p> -"Who the devil do you think you are?" he asked. -</p> - -<p> -"I'm the mate of this ship," said Ruddle, -"but, but I don't think I ever saw any of you -before?" -</p> - -<p> -"How do you come to be togged up like you -are, if you are mate?" asked Smith, as he made -the bunt gasket fast. "Don't you think you -look a hell of a sailor in that rig?" -</p> - -<p> -"I don't understand it," said Ruddle blankly. -"Where did I get these clothes?" -</p> - -<p> -"You'd better ask the 'old man,'" said the -second mate. "You're a clergyman, and you -ain't a sailor at all." -</p> - -<p> -"You're a liar," said Ruddle. "But I don't -understand it. I don't know any of you. Where -are we?" -</p> - -<p> -"Off the Cape, to be sure," said Smith. -</p> - -<p> -Ruddle shook his head. -</p> - -<p> -"There is something very horrid about this," -he said, with an awe-stricken expression of -countenance, "for when we clewed up this topsail -we were off the Head of Kinsale." -</p> - -<p> -"Holy Moses," said the crowd, "'ow she -must have scooted in 'alf a watch!" -</p> - -<p> -"Well, we're off the Cape now," said Smith -impatiently; "and if you don't believe it, you -can ask the captain." -</p> - -<p> -And they all came down on deck. Ruddle -walked like a man in a dream, and as he walked -he rubbed the spot that had been bruised. When -his wife saw him coming she screamed again, -and called out to him— -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, Tom, Tom! how could you do it?" -</p> - -<p> -And Tom grasped the second mate by the arm. -</p> - -<p> -"Who's that woman calling 'Tom'?" -</p> - -<p> -The second mate stopped as if he had been -shot, and whistled. -</p> - -<p> -"D'ye mean to say you don't know?" he -asked. -</p> - -<p> -"Confound you, I wouldn't ask if I did," -said Ruddle savagely. "It ain't me, surely?" -</p> - -<p> -It was Smith's turn to grab hold of him. -</p> - -<p> -"Don't you know her?" he asked in tones of -positive alarm. -</p> - -<p> -"No!" roared the unfortunate Ruddle. "No -more than I know you or any of 'em." -</p> - -<p> -Smith nearly fell down. -</p> - -<p> -"Man, she's your wife," said Smith; and -once more Susan Ruddle said— -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, Tom, how could you do it and me here?" -</p> - -<p> -Then Chadwick spoke and rebuked Ruddle -very strongly for having done it, and Ruddle -shook his head and scratched it and shook it -again, and then burst out with dreadful language -against Chadwick for interfering with a stranger. -</p> - -<p> -"He don't know any of you," said Smith, -as Chadwick fell into a cold perspiration to -hear his chief use such awful language. "He -don't know any of you. And he lets on that he -is the mate of this ship, and that we are off the -Old Head of Kinsale." -</p> - -<p> -And Susan Ruddle fainted dead away. -</p> - -<p> -"Take the poor silly woman down below," -said Ruddle. "She must be mad. I don't -know where I am, or how I got here, but I do -know jolly well that I ain't married, and that a -girl in London that I ain't by no means stuck on -thinks I'm going to marry her this very year. -But I ain't goin' to, by a dern sight. Not me." -</p> - -<p> -They carried her down below just as the -'old man' came on deck after setting the -mate's arm. Smith told him what had happened. -</p> - -<p> -The skipper shook his head. -</p> - -<p> -"This is very remarkable and tryin'," said -the skipper. "For Mr. Dixon's arm is broken -through this Ruddle barrackin' him and askin' -him why he did not take in sail when it was -calm, as it would be easier. Oh, this is very -wonderful, and I makes very little of it. And -now he says he ain't married. He brought her -here as his wife, and you are all witnesses to that. -Oh, it is very remarkable, and I make nothin' of it -in spite of his havin' been a sailor before, as looks -likely as he went aloft. Is it true he swore?" -</p> - -<p> -"Most awful and hair-raisin' and blasphemous," -replied the second mate, who was a very -good judge of swearing. -</p> - -<p> -"Did he now, and him a minister? It's very -remarkable, and I makes nothin' of it," said the -skipper, and he ran up the poop and right into -the arms of Ruddle. -</p> - -<p> -"Who are you? Are you the captain? I -want to see the captain before I go ragin' luny," -said Ruddle. -</p> - -<p> -"Steady," said the old skipper, grasping him -tightly by the arm, "steady, my son. Don't -you know me?" -</p> - -<p> -"Never saw you before that I know of," -groaned Ruddle. "And there's no one here that -I know; and I don't know where I am or what I -am, or where I got these disgusting clothes from, -or where we are, or anything about anythin' -whatsoever." -</p> - -<p> -The skipper gasped. -</p> - -<p> -"You don't remember bein' a minister, and -tellin' me that you had been a seaman and -had had a bash on the crust with a shearpole -from aloft that laid you out stiff, and when -you come to you didn't rek'lect havin' bin a -sailor at all, and that you then bore up for the -Church and became a missionary? Oh, say -you rek'lect, for if you don't I makes nothin' -of it, and am most confused; and there is your -wife in a dead faint down below." -</p> - -<p> -But Ruddle shook his head. -</p> - -<p> -"I don't believe I ever was a missionary, -for I always allowed they were a scaly lot. And -I ain't married, and the girl that thinks I'll -marry her is away off her true course by points. -But I say, how long do you reckon I was minister?" -</p> - -<p> -He held on to the 'old man' as if he was -holding on to sanity, and implored an answer. -</p> - -<p> -"We'll ask your pal," said Gray, and he -bellowed down the companion for Chadwick, -who came on deck with his eyes bolting. -</p> - -<p> -"Is that my pal?" asked Ruddle in great -disappointment. "Why, I never saw him either." -</p> - -<p> -Poor Chadwick burst into tears. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, this is dreadful, this is very dreadful," -said poor Chadwick. "What shall we do? -Our chief stay and strength is gone from us, and -doesn't know even me that married him." -</p> - -<p> -Ruddle stared, and then rushed at him and -held him in the grip of a bear. -</p> - -<p> -"Steady, mister, are you speakin' truth or -are you gettin' at me?" -</p> - -<p> -"It's the truth," said Chadwick. -</p> - -<p> -"Then how long was I in your business? -Tell me straight, or I'll sling you overboard -right now." -</p> - -<p> -"Eight years," squealed Chadwick; "and there's -all of us downstairs can testify to the same." -</p> - -<p> -Ruddle sighed, and looked at the raging sea -and at the skipper and at Chadwick, and up -aloft. After a long silence he spoke. -</p> - -<p> -"If I'm right the year's eighteen-ninety, -and if you are right it must be ninety-eight -or more, accordin' to the time it took me to get -my certificate as missionary. What year is it?" -</p> - -<p> -"Nineteen hundred, so 'elp me," said the -skipper; "and I'll have up the Nautical Almanac -to show you." -</p> - -<p> -But Ruddle took their word for it, and sniffed -a little, and then remarked— -</p> - -<p> -"I do think my beard wants trimmin'. And -am I mad now?" -</p> - -<p> -"No, no," said the faithful Chadwick, "you -aren't mad, and in a little while it will all come -back to you, and you will come back to us, -and we'll all be happy, even Blithers." -</p> - -<p> -"Who's Blithers?" asked Ruddle sadly. -Yet he did not wait for an answer. Though -the <i>Wave</i> was now hove to under her main-topsail, -with the fore-yards checked in, and was -fairly comfortable, the gale instead of moderating -let another reef out, so to speak, and was -a regular sizzler. -</p> - -<p> -"I should like to see that main-topsail goose-winged, -sir," said Ruddle suddenly, "for if we -are off the Cape, as you all seem to think, this -is by no means the worst of it, and it will be a -real old-fashioned scorcher." -</p> - -<p> -The 'old man' looked at him. -</p> - -<p> -"Do you know the mate's arm is broke?" -</p> - -<p> -"No," said Ruddle. -</p> - -<p> -"Well, it is, and he ain't fit to do a thing, -naturally, and that means I haven't a mate." -</p> - -<p> -Ruddle looked pleased for the first time since -he came back to his old sea-self. -</p> - -<p> -"You don't say so. Well, that is fortunate," -he said with a happy smile. "This is what I call -real luck. I'll be the mate, sir, till you can -get another." -</p> - -<p> -"Right," said the skipper. "And if you like -you can goose-wing the topsail, Mr. Ruddle. -I reckon you're right about the weather. We -have enough parsons aboard to make old Davy -Jones do his best." -</p> - -<p> -And Ruddle, with a happy flush on his face, -bellowed from the break of the poop for the -watch to lay aft. They heard his voice with -amazement and came very lively. -</p> - -<p> -"Haul up the lee clew of the lower main-topsail," -said the new mate, and going down -on the main-deck he saw the gear manned, and -started the sheet, and then lent his gigantic -strength to get the clew chock up. -</p> - -<p> -"Jump aloft and goose-wing it," said Ruddle -to the bo'son, and the men jumped and did as -they were told with extraordinary agility. They -said it was a miracle, and so it was. But Ruddle -was quite happy for a moment, and when they -were down on deck again he turned to the -skipper and laughed, positively laughed. -</p> - -<p> -But the 'old man' did not even smile. -</p> - -<p> -"I'm thinking of the poor little lady down -below, Mr. Ruddle," he said with a sigh. "What -are you goin' to do about her?" -</p> - -<p> -A look of great determination came over -Ruddle's face, and the smile died out of it. -</p> - -<p> -"If I married, and I don't believe I did, when -I was dotty through bein' hit on the crust, I -ain't goin' to acknowledge it," said he with -firmness. "I ain't the same man, that's obvious. -And as I don't know the lady, the situation -would be uncommon awkward for her and for -me, and I think the best thing is for nothin' -further to be said." -</p> - -<p> -The skipper was very doubtful as to whether -this was the proper way to look at it, and he -expressed a very decided opinion on what the -lady would say. -</p> - -<p> -"I'm a married man myself," said Gray, "and -I own I have a wife that is a jewel, but what -she would say if I said I didn't know her, owing -to some accident at sea, fair inspires me with -dread. I don't believe Mrs. Ruddle will put -up with it, and you'll have a holy time in front -of you if she as much as hears that you think -of trying it on." -</p> - -<p> -But Ruddle said he didn't care, and that he -wasn't going to have a wife foisted on him, -so there. And down below Chadwick was breaking -the dreadful news to Susan Ruddle that her -husband did not know her or anyone else, and -that he had become a sailor with a remarkably -unorthodox vocabulary, and when this was -driven into the poor woman's mind she screamed, -and almost fainted again. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, what shall I do, what shall I do!" -she cried. And then Mr. Blithers, who had -never liked Ruddle, said that he would put it -right. -</p> - -<p> -"I don't believe a word he says if he says -he doesn't know us," said Blithers angrily. "I -always thought he was not the man he wanted -us to think. And as for that story of his, I never -believed that either. I shall go on deck and -tell him that he is a scoundrel." -</p> - -<p> -He did so. He crawled to the poop and -emerged into the gale in which Ruddle was -fairly revelling. -</p> - -<p> -"Ruddle, you are a scoundrel," said Blithers. -"I always thought so, and now I know it." -</p> - -<p> -Ruddle inspected him with great curiosity. -</p> - -<p> -"I'm a scoundrel, am I?" asked the new -mate. "And what may you be?" -</p> - -<p> -"Don't you dare say you don't know me, -Ruddle," said Blithers. -</p> - -<p> -"I know you," said Ruddle. "I can tell by -the cut of your jib that you are an infernal -humbug of the first water. Get out of this -before I hurt you!" -</p> - -<p> -"I won't," said Blithers furiously. "I won't -till you say what you are going to do about your -wife, who is weeping about you now, and crying -to you to come to her." -</p> - -<p> -"If you don't stop tellin' lies about me and -ladies I'll throw you down into the cabin," -said Ruddle. -</p> - -<p> -"Hypocrite, liar, and man of sin, I defy you!" -said Blithers; and the next minute Ruddle had -him by the neck and threw him into the cabin. -</p> - -<p> -"Stand from under," said Ruddle, and Blithers -howled and fell, and turned over and over as he -went, and at last came to a stop at the feet of -Chadwick and the disconsolate wife. -</p> - -<p> -"He threw me down, and he knew me," -screamed Blithers. "He said, 'I know you, -and you are a humbug.' He's just pretending." -</p> - -<p> -"I don't believe it, Mr. Blithers," wailed the -unhappy woman. "He was always a good -judge of character even when he was at sea -before. But I want to see him myself. I must, -and I will. He'll know me. Oh, he must know -me or I shall die!" -</p> - -<p> -The skipper came down below. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, captain," said Susan Ruddle, "I want -to see him. If he is the mate now, as you say, -you must order him to come to me at once." -</p> - -<p> -"I will," said the skipper. "It's odd I never -thought of that before, when he as good as said -he declined to hear any more argument about -wives and women, and let on that the girl that -reckoned to marry him was likely to be -disapp'inted. You cheer up, ma'am. I'll send -him down sharp." -</p> - -<p> -"Leave me here alone," said the discarded -wife, who in spite of her grief looked as pretty -as a picture. "Leave me alone, please." -</p> - -<p> -Chadwick withdrew, and dragged the raging -Blithers with him. As Chadwick said, if anyone -could bring Ruddle back to a sense of the lost -period of his youth, it was his wife, and if she failed -it was likely to be a very remarkable business -and no mistake about it. He told Blithers of -other cases of the kind of which he had heard. -On the whole, Chadwick was optimistic. But -Blithers shook his head, and rather hoped that -Ruddle would remain a sailor for the rest of his life. -</p> - -<p> -"I never thought he was fit to be a missionary," -said Blithers. "And instead of him, I ought to -be looked on as the chief here." -</p> - -<p> -There was a sharp argument going on on deck -in the meantime. -</p> - -<p> -"I'll take charge of her, Mr. Ruddle," said -the skipper, "and you can go below and see your -wife, who is naturally anxious to see you." -</p> - -<p> -"I ain't in the least anxious to go below," -said Ruddle. "In fact, if it's all the same to -you I'd rather stay here till she's out of the way." -</p> - -<p> -"I don't like to think that you are a coward," -observed the skipper severely, "but I'll be -compelled to think so if you don't go at once and -square things up in some sort of shape." -</p> - -<p> -"Well," said Ruddle, "that's all very well for -you, sir, that ain't caught in the same nip. -But I don't want to go. I don't know the lady, -and I'm naturally shy, and the cold perspiration -pours off me at the thought of it." -</p> - -<p> -"I order you to do your duty," said the 'old -man.' "I order you to go below and soothe the -lady." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh Lord, oh, I say, I won't," stammered -Ruddle. "I'd rather stay on deck all night." -</p> - -<p> -"You won't? That's mutiny, Mr. Ruddle. -It is disobeyin' orders, it is refusing duty. I'd -be very sorry to use severe measures with you, -but if you don't go I'll have you put in irons -and carried to her." -</p> - -<p> -"You don't mean that, sir, do you?" -</p> - -<p> -"I mean it," said the skipper. "But I never -did see such a man. I never knew anyone so -unwillin' to see a pretty woman before." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, is she pretty?" asked Ruddle anxiously. -</p> - -<p> -"Rather," said the 'old man.' "Oh, a regular -beauty, and no fatal error. Dixon and Smith -were both off their nuts about her when you -came on board." -</p> - -<p> -"What's she like?" asked Ruddle. "Tell me -what she is like." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, for one thing, she has got the most -beautiful golden hair," said the skipper; "and -from the way it's coiled, tier on tier on her -head, I should reckon she can sit on it -easy." -</p> - -<p> -Ruddle sighed. -</p> - -<p> -"Well, that seems all right," he said. "I was -afraid I might have landed one of the half-bald -kind I hate. I like 'em fair too. But go on, sir." -</p> - -<p> -"Her eyes are a very superior kind of blue," -said the poetical skipper; "and in my judgment -they don't stay the same kind of blue all the -time, but changes like the sea when clouds obscure -the heavens in a squall. I reckon she's mostly -sweet tempered, but if you riled her it would -not surprise me to learn that she could stand up -for herself." -</p> - -<p> -"That's the way I like 'em," said Ruddle. -"I never could abide the milk-and-water woman. -But is she big or little?" -</p> - -<p> -"Neither one nor the other," returned the -skipper. "Speaking as a judge of them, I -should say she is as she should be, not too little, -not too big, but what you might call sizeable. -And her complexion, of which I'm a judge, is -quite remarkable. Oh, on consideration I should -state with some firmness that she's very pretty." -</p> - -<p> -"You comfort me a good deal," said Ruddle; -"and if you still insist on my seein' her, I'll -do it at once." -</p> - -<p> -"It's my duty to insist, Ruddle," said the -'old man.' "So down you go, and mind you -behave. And don't be too stand-offish, for I -can't abide to see tears, and never could, and -as a result I've had much trouble in my life. -And when it's fixed up, come and tell me all -about it." -</p> - -<p> -And Ruddle started to see his wife with slow, -reluctant steps. -</p> - -<p> -"It's my firm belief that nothin' of this nature -ever happened before," said Ruddle, "and my -bein' nervous seems tolerable natural. I wonder, -oh, I do wonder, if I shall like her!" -</p> - -<p> -He descended the companion as slowly as if -he were going to execution. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, Tom, Tom," cried the lady who was, -they said, his wife, and a cold shiver ran down -Ruddle's back. He did not dare to lift his eyes, -and stood there like a big schoolboy who has -got into sad trouble and is much ashamed -of himself. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, Tom, don't you know me?" cried -Susan. She made an attempt to rise, which was -very promptly frustrated by the gale. Ruddle -lifted his eyes at last. -</p> - -<p> -"If you please, ma'am, I don't think I do," -said he. Then he added in desperation—"At -least, not well, ma'am." -</p> - -<p> -The situation was too desperate for screaming, -and Susan accordingly did not scream. She -became dignified. -</p> - -<p> -"I have been your wife for three years, and -now you say you don't know me. If you don't -know me, who am I, and what am I? Tom, -sir, Mr. Ruddle, I pause for a reply." -</p> - -<p> -Poor Ruddle shook his head very sadly. -</p> - -<p> -"It's mighty awkward, I own," he said -after some reflection; "and I don't know what -to do about it. I'm very sorry I don't know -you, but I can't say I do, much as I'd like to -oblige a lady that I'm bound to respect, as, -according to the other gents in long-tailed coats, -I'm married to her. But they say I was a -missionary, and now I'm a seaman again, and -maybe you don't care for those that follow the -sea." -</p> - -<p> -"I don't mind anything," sobbed Susan, who -was wondering if she might tell her husband -that she loved him and would not care if he -were a dustman. But somehow it did not seem -quite proper to speak in that way to a man who -didn't know her. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, please, don't cry," said Ruddle in great -distress. "When a lady cries I never know -what to do." -</p> - -<p> -"I think I'm almost glad you d-don't," said -Susan, and she smiled on him through her tears, -and looked very beautiful. -</p> - -<p> -"The 'old man' was right," said Tom Ruddle, -"she's as beautiful as a picture, and just the -kind I like. I don't think I could have bin' -very dotty when I married her, and I wish I -remembered somethin' about it. If I say I -think she is pretty, I wonder whether she will -be mad and think it a liberty. I think I'll -try. They mostly like it." -</p> - -<p> -He approached her slowly. -</p> - -<p> -"If I don't know you, what may I call you?" -he asked diffidently. -</p> - -<p> -Mrs. Ruddle gave a gasp. -</p> - -<p> -"Don't you know my name? Oh, how -very dreadful! I'm Susan, and you used to -call me Dilly Duck." -</p> - -<p> -"Did I?" asked Ruddle. "And why did I -do that?" -</p> - -<p> -Susan said she didn't know, but supposed that -it was because he liked her very much. -</p> - -<p> -"But I like you very much now," said Ruddle, -"I really do; and I think you are very pretty, -ma'am, if I may say so, and the situation is very -awkward. I hope I ain't too forward, which has -never been my way with ladies, I assure you." -</p> - -<p> -As it had taken Susan over a year to encourage -him to the point of proposing, she felt sure that -he was speaking the solid truth, and it touched -her deeply. -</p> - -<p> -"I'm very glad you think I'm pretty," she -said with the most charming modesty. "If—oh, -if you think so, perhaps you are not sorry -that you are married." -</p> - -<p> -"But I don't feel married," urged Ruddle -desperately, "and I don't know what to do -about it. It's by far the awkwardest situation -I was ever in by long chalks, and it beats me, -it fair beats me." -</p> - -<p> -But surely there was a way out, thought -Susan, and she wondered whether as his wife -she might not suggest it. -</p> - -<p> -"But you like me?" -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, yes, to be sure," said Ruddle, "and I -quite understand how I came to marry you. -That is, I can understand how I wanted to, -but what fair licks me is what you saw in me. -Perhaps it was my bein' a long-tailed parson. -Was it, now?" -</p> - -<p> -"Not in the least," said Susan stoutly, "it -was because you were you." -</p> - -<p> -"But now I ain't what I was, and you must -find it very embarrassing, ma'am." -</p> - -<p> -"What I find embarrassing is your calling me -'ma'am,'" said Susan, with a snap that made -Ruddle see that the skipper was right in other -ways than his judgment of the lady's beauty. -</p> - -<p> -"Very well," said Tom Ruddle in a great -hurry, "I'll call you Susan if you like." -</p> - -<p> -"Of course I like," said Susan; "and if you -like you can call me Dilly Duck too." -</p> - -<p> -But though Ruddle was much encouraged, he -could not go so far as that all at once. -</p> - -<p> -"If you won't, you might at anyrate sit down -near me," said the fair Circe with the golden -hair. And Tom sat down gingerly. -</p> - -<p> -"I don't know what is to be done," said he -in a melancholy way. "I suppose you agree -with me, ma'am,—Susan, I mean,—that it is -very awkward and most unusual? Looking it -fair and square, I don't see a way out, unless——" -</p> - -<p> -"Unless what?" asked Susan, with her eyes -on the deck. She herself had an idea of the -way out, but she wanted him to find it. -</p> - -<p> -"It's very odd that I should feel as I do, -as we have been married," said Ruddle; "but -I'm that took aback by the facts as they show -up against my present lights, that I seem in a -dream, like as if I had sternway on me and -was in a regular tangle. Tell me, when I was -a missionary was I much afraid of you?" -</p> - -<p> -Susan sighed and took him by the arm. -</p> - -<p> -"I think you were a little afraid sometimes, -Tom, especially if I was cross with you." -</p> - -<p> -"Ah, I dessay," said her husband. "And if -I was scared of you at times when I knew you, -it seems natural, don't it, that I should be worse -scared of you now that I don't?" -</p> - -<p> -"But you aren't really frightened of me, -darling, are you?" asked Susan, once more -turning on the water-works. -</p> - -<p> -"When you cry and call me that," said -Ruddle, "I don't know where I am, and I -want to——" -</p> - -<p> -"You want to what?" asked Susan in the -sweetest voice. -</p> - -<p> -"I—I don't quite know," stammered Ruddle. -</p> - -<p> -"I know," said Susan triumphantly. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, no, you can't," said Ruddle in great haste. -"I'm certain you can't, for it ain't possible." -</p> - -<p> -But Susan lifted her sea-blue eyes to his and -shook her head. -</p> - -<p> -"I do know, Tom. You want to kiss me." -</p> - -<p> -Tom gasped and stared at her. "Well, you -are clever," he said, with the greatest air of -admiration. "I don't believe that any other -woman would have guessed it." -</p> - -<p> -And Susan sat waiting. -</p> - -<p> -"Well?" she said at last. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, may I?" asked Tom. -</p> - -<p> -"Of course you may," said Susan, once more -looking at the deck. And he kissed her, and -then took her in his arms while she wept. -</p> - -<p> -"And you are sure you love me again?" she -asked. -</p> - -<p> -"It's most wonderful," said Tom, "but now -I come to think of it, I feel as if I had always -loved you, and no other woman can as much -as get a look in. There was a girl in London -that thought I was goin' to tie up alongside, -but she's away off it, and I'll never marry anyone -but you." -</p> - -<p> -Susan wisely forbore at that moment to make -any inquiries about this other girl, of whom -she had never heard till that moment, and she -put her golden head against her husband's -shoulder. -</p> - -<p> -"I think I am quite happy, Tom," she said, -"though I am very sorry you don't remember -how happy we were when we were first married." -</p> - -<p> -Tom shook his head. -</p> - -<p> -"I'm sorry for that too," he replied, "but it -can't be helped, and we'll be happy yet if you -really love me enough to marry me again." -</p> - -<p> -"But we are married, Tom," said Susan. -</p> - -<p> -"You may be," said Tom, "but I haven't -the feelings of it, and I mean to ask that long-tail -to tie us up again, so that there can be no -mistake about it. What do you say?" -</p> - -<p> -Susan said he was a darling, and that she loved -him more than ever, and was willing to be -married to him a thousand times if he wanted it. -</p> - -<p> -"And you don't mind my bein' a sailor instead -of a missionary?" asked Tom. -</p> - -<p> -"I much prefer it, so long as you don't go -to sea," said Susan; and leaving that to be -arranged later, Tom Ruddle called the curious -Chadwick from his cabin. -</p> - -<p> -"I've fixed it up," said Tom triumphantly. -"I've fixed it to rights, sir. My wife is goin' -to marry me again, and we'd be much obliged -if you would perform the ceremony." -</p> - -<p> -"It seems very irregular," said Chadwick, -"but considering the very peculiar circumstances -I've no objection to make. It is really -very wonderful. I congratulate you both. I -must call the captain and tell him about it." -</p> - -<p> -When the second mate came on deck the -'old man' went below. As soon as he grasped -the situation he turned to Susan with a grin. -</p> - -<p> -"You brought him to his bearings pretty quick, -ma'am, and I congratulate you. But then a -pretty woman like you ain't the sort to go long -a-beggin'. I knew you'd fetch him! When -I described you to him, me bein' a judge of -female beauty, I saw how it would be. Who's -goin' to do the new hitching?" -</p> - -<p> -Mr. Chadwick said he was going to do it. -</p> - -<p> -"It's the first time I ever married the same -couple twice," he said; and Brother Blithers -sat in the background and said it was uncanonical. -But no one paid any attention to Blithers. The -other missionaries chipped in with their -congratulations, and said that they hoped Ruddle -would still be one of them. -</p> - -<p> -"Thank you, gentlemen," said Ruddle, "but -I have too much admiration for you to think -I can be one of you again. I have a cousin that's -a shipowner, and when he finds that I'm alive -and in my right sea senses, he'll give me a ship, -for though I've never been skipper of anythin' -yet, I hold a master's certificate. And my wife -will go to sea with me." -</p> - -<p> -"Darling, I'll go anywhere with you," whispered -Susan. And then they were married, while -the gale roared about them, and the good old -<i>Ocean Wave</i> rode it out under a goose-winged -main-topsail as comfortably as a duck in a -puddle. -</p> - -<p> -"It's all very wonderful," said Ruddle, as -he went on deck at four o'clock to keep his watch. -The 'old man' said that it was. -</p> - -<p> -"All the same I knew she'd fetch you," said -Gray. "I think the worst of it is over. We'll -be makin' sail in the mornin'. As this is your -weddin'-day, Mr. Ruddle, I'll keep your watch -to-night." -</p> - -<p> -"Thank you, sir," said Ruddle. "Lord, -what a wonderful world it is." -</p> - -<p> -Mrs. Ruddle said so too. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap05"></a></p> - -<h3> -THE CAPTAIN OF THE <i>ULLSWATER</i> -</h3> - -<p> -There were enemies of Captain Amos Brown -who said that he was a liar. He certainly -had a vivid imagination, or a memory for a -more romantic career than falls to the lot of -most at sea or ashore. -</p> - -<p> -"By the time we make Callao, Mr. Wardle," -said the skipper to his new mate, as they lay -in Prince's Dock, Liverpool, "I expect to be able -to tell you something of my life, which has been -a very remarkable one." -</p> - -<p> -"You don't say so, sir," said Mr. Wardle, -who, as it happened, had heard nothing about -the skipper, and was innocently prepared to -swallow quite a deal. "You don't say so, sir." -</p> - -<p> -"I do say so," replied the skipper. "It has -been a most remarkable career from first to -last. Wonders happen to me, Mr. Wardle, so -that when I am at sea I just know that something -will occur that is strange. I have a collection -of binoculars, with inscriptions on them -for saving lives at sea, that would surprise you. -They have been given me by almost every Government -of any importance under the sun." -</p> - -<p> -"That must be very gratifyin', sir," said the -mate. -</p> - -<p> -"It gets monotonous," said the skipper with -a yawn. "At times I wish foreign Governments -had more imagination. They never seem to -think two pair of glasses enough for any man. -And the silver-mounted sextants I possess are -difficult to stow away in my house. If you -don't mind the inscription to me on it, I'll give -you a sextant presented to me by France, -Mr. Wardle, if I can remember to bring it with me -from home next time." -</p> - -<p> -Mr. Wardle said he should be delighted to -own it, and said, further, that the inscription -would naturally give it an added interest. At -this the skipper yawned again, and said that he -was tired of inscriptions. -</p> - -<p> -"The next lot I pick up I'll request not to give -my name," he said. "My wife, Mr. Wardle, -gets tired of keeping a servant specially to -polish 'to Captain Brown,' with a lot of -complimentary jaw to follow that makes her tired. -She knows what I am, Mr. Wardle, and doesn't -require to be reminded of it by falling over a -gold-mounted sextant every time she turns round. -A woman even of a greedy mind can easily -get palled with sextants, and a woman sees no -particular use in them when they take up room -that she wants to devote to heirlooms in her -family. Before we get to Callao I'll tell you -all about my wife, and how I came to marry -her. It is a romantic story. She belongs to -a noble family. She is the most beautiful -woman that you ever set eyes on. I'll tell you -all about it before we get to Callao. I've always -been a very attractive man to the other sex, -Mr. Wardle. She's rather jealous, too, though -she belongs to a noble family. I understand -in noble families it isn't good taste to be jealous, -but she is. However, I must write to her now, or -I shall have a letter from her at Callao that would -surprise you, if by that time I know you well -enough to show it to you. And now, what -were you saying about those three cases marked -P.D., and consigned to Manuel Garcia?" -</p> - -<p> -Mr. Wardle told him what he had been -saying about the cases marked P.D. and consigned -to Manuel Garcia, and it was settled what -was to be done with them. The skipper said -that he wished they were full of his binoculars -and diamond-mounted sextants, and also his -gold watches with fulsome inscriptions on them, -and that they were consigned to Davy Jones. -</p> - -<p> -"And this is a letter for you, sir," said the -mate. The skipper opened it. -</p> - -<p> -"From my wife," he said, and then he swore. -</p> - -<p> -"Another pair of binoculars from the Swedish -Government," he groaned. "I shall write and -say that I would rather have a suit of clothes, -and that if there must be an inscription on them -will they put it where it can't be seen. The -German Government once did that for me, but -they put the inscription in good English on -the collar, and I found it very inconvenient, -for strangers would come and breathe in my -neck while they read it." -</p> - -<p> -Mr. Wardle went away to ask the second mate -what he thought of the skipper. He sighed, -and the second mate laughed. The second -mate was an unbelieving dog and a merry one. -When it came six o'clock they had a wash, -and put on clean clothes, and went up town -together, and had a friendly drink at a well-known -public-house which was a great resort for mates -and second mates, though a skipper rarely put -his nose inside it. -</p> - -<p> -"I wonder what kind of a chap the skipper -is, after all," said Humphries the second mate. -"It seems to me, sir, that he is a holy terror -of a liar, and no mistake." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, I shouldn't like to say that," replied -Wardle. "I do, however, think he exaggerates -and puts it on a bit thick. That isn't bein' a -liar. I daresay he has saved life at sea. He -wouldn't have offered me a silver-mounted -sextant if he hadn't several." -</p> - -<p> -"I shall believe you will get it when I see -you with it," said Jack Humphries. "In my -opinion Captain Amos Brown is a first-class -liar." -</p> - -<p> -Perhaps he spoke a little too loudly for a public -place, though that public place was a billiard-room -with four second mates playing a -four-handed game, and making as much row over it -as if they were picking up the bunt of the -fore-sail in a gale of wind. He was overheard by -the only old man in the room. -</p> - -<p> -"Did I hear you mention someone called -Amos Brown?" asked the old chap sitting next -to him. -</p> - -<p> -"I did, sir," said the second mate of the -<i>Ullswater</i>. "Do you know him?" -</p> - -<p> -"I had an Amos Brown as an apprentice with -me when I commanded the <i>Samuel Plimsoll</i>," -replied the old gentleman, "and he was a very -remarkable lad. I think I heard you say that -this one was a liar?" -</p> - -<p> -"I did," said Humphries; "though perhaps -I shouldn't have done so, as I'm second mate with -him now, sir." -</p> - -<p> -The old boy shook his head. -</p> - -<p> -"I won't tell him. But it surely must be -the same. The Brown I knew was an awful -liar, and I've seen many in my time, gentlemen." -</p> - -<p> -He asked them to drink with him, and they -did it willingly. To know the one-time skipper -of the old <i>Samuel Plimsoll</i> was something worth -while, seeing that she had once held the record -for a day's run. And if his Brown was theirs -it was a chance not to be missed. They took -their drinks, and asked him to tell them all -about Amos Brown. -</p> - -<p> -"He went overboard in a gale of wind and -saved another boy who couldn't swim," said -the stranger, "and when we got them back on -board, and he could speak, the very first thing -he said was that he had seventeen medals from -the Royal Humane Society for saving other -lives. Does that sound like your man?" -</p> - -<p> -Wardle told him about the binoculars and -gold watches and silver-mounted sextants. -</p> - -<p> -"Ah, he's the man," said the old skipper. -"Don't you think because he gasses that he -hasn't pluck. I'd not be surprised to hear -that there is some truth in what he says. I've -known one man with four pairs of inscribed -binoculars. I daresay Captain Brown has a -pair or two. When you see him, tell him that -you met Captain Gleeson, who used to command -the <i>Samuel Plimsoll</i>. And as I'm goin' now, -I don't mind owning that I'm the man that -has the four pairs of binoculars, gentlemen." -</p> - -<p> -He bade them good-night, and Humphries -said when he had gone that he was probably -as big a liar as the skipper, and had never seen -the <i>Samuel Plimsoll</i>. -</p> - -<p> -"And as for Brown bein' a hero," added -the second mate, "I simply don't believe it. A -liar can't be brave." -</p> - -<p> -This was a large and youthful saying, and -Wardle, who was not so young as his subordinate, -had his doubts of it. -</p> - -<p> -"I rather think the captain is all right," he -said. "I'll ask him to-morrow if he was ever -in the <i>Samuel Plimsoll</i>." -</p> - -<p> -They were at sea before he got a chance to -do so. -</p> - -<p> -"The <i>Samuel Plimsoll</i>? well, I should say so!" -said the skipper. "And you actually met dear -old Gleeson! Why, Mr. Wardle, he was the -man that set me on makin' this collection of -inscribed articles. Bar myself he is the one -man in the whole merchant service with more -than he can do with. His native town has a -department in its museum especially devoted -to what he has given them in that way. His -wife refused to give them house-room, and I -don't blame her. I saved most of the crew in -that dear old hooker at one time or another, -went overboard after them in gales of wind. -They got to rely on me and grew very careless. -I often told them that I wouldn't go after any -more, but when you see a poor chap drownin' -it is difficult to stay in the dry and let him." -</p> - -<p> -"Ah," said Wardle, "he did speak about -your savin' one." -</p> - -<p> -The skipper cast a quick look at him, and -then laughed. -</p> - -<p> -"One, indeed," he said contemptuously. "Why -I saved the whole of the mate's watch, the mate -included; and on three other occasions I was -hauled out of my bunk to go after one of the -starboard watch. The only thing I have against -old Gleeson is that he was jealous when he saw -I was likely to knock his collection of medals -and binoculars into a cocked-hat. One, indeed! -I've saved seventy men, boys, and women, by -goin' in after 'em myself; and somethin' like -forty-five crews by skilful seamanship in the -face of unparalleled difficulties. I wish I could -have a talk with Gleeson." -</p> - -<p> -"He said you were one of the bravest lads -he ever met, sir," said Wardle. -</p> - -<p> -The skipper's face softened. -</p> - -<p> -"Did he now? Well, that was nice of him, -but I think he might have told you about more -than one I saved." -</p> - -<p> -"And he said he had only four pairs of -binoculars given him by foreign Governments," -added Wardle. -</p> - -<p> -"That is his false modesty," said Captain -Brown. "He has an idea that if he told the truth -he would not be believed. I don't care who -doesn't believe me, Mr. Wardle. If surprisin' -things occur to a man why should he not relate -them? There's my wife, for instance, one of -the nobility, a knight's daughter! I know -men that wouldn't mention it for fear of not -bein' believed they had married so far above -them. She is the most beautiful woman in the -three kingdoms, to say nothin' of Europe. I -know men that it would seem like braggin' in -to say that, but when you get to know me, and -know that speakin' the truth isn't out of gear -with my natural modesty, you will see why I -mention it so freely." -</p> - -<p> -In the course of the next few days Captain -Amos Brown mentioned a good many things -freely that redounded to the credit of himself -and his family, and he did it so nicely, with such -an engaging air of innocent and delightful -candour, that poor Wardle did not know whether -he was shipmates with the most wonderful -man on earth or the most magnificent liar. -</p> - -<p> -"I don't know where I am," he confided -in his junior. -</p> - -<p> -"I know where <i>I</i> am," said the graceless -second greaser. "I am with a skipper with -as much jaw as a sheep's head, and if he said -it was raining I should take off my oilskins. He's -the biggest braggart and liar I ever met, sir." -</p> - -<p> -"I cannot listen to you sayin' such things," -said the mate. -</p> - -<p> -"I beg your pardon for doin' so," replied -Humphries, "but the 'old man' is a scorcher, -and I can't help seein' it." -</p> - -<p> -To a less prejudiced observer it must have -been obvious that there were many fine qualities -in Captain Amos Brown. He inspected the -cooking of the men's food at intervals which -annoyed the cook and kept him up to his work. -When he went his rounds he saw that things -were shipshape even in the deckhouse. The -men for'ard said he might be a notorious liar, -as they heard from the steward, but they said -he looked like a man and a seaman. Mr. Wardle -found him as smart a navigator as he had ever -sailed with, and before long was learning -mathematics from him. -</p> - -<p> -"No officer need be ashamed of takin' a -wrinkle from me, Mr. Wardle," said the skipper, -after giving him a lesson in star observations -that made the mate sit up. "The Astronomer -Royal himself owned to me that I could give -him pounds and a beating at a great deal of -mathematics. I love it, there is something so -fine and free about it. I go sailin' over the sea -of the calculus with both sheets aft. He is -goin' to publish some observations of mine -about the imperfections of the sextant. They -were brought to my notice by my series of -silver-mounted ones. I'm inventin' a new one -compensated for all different temperatures." -</p> - -<p> -And yet it was quite true that, as far as Wardle -went with him, a better and clearer-headed -teacher could not be found. -</p> - -<p> -"I shall end in believing every word he says," -thought the mate. -</p> - -<p> -And if the mate found him his master in -navigation, Humphries found that there wasn't a -trick of practical seamanship that wasn't at his -finger-ends, from cutting out a jib to a double -Matthew Walker on a four-stranded rope, which -the skipper could almost do with his eyes shut. -</p> - -<p> -"Everything is all the same to me, -Mr. Humphries," said the skipper calmly. "I'm -a born pilot, and I can handle every rig as easy -as if I'd been born in 'em. I can sail a scow -or a schooner, and every kind of sailing-boat -from a catamaran to an Arab dhow. And at -steam I'm just as good." -</p> - -<p> -Humphries did not believe a word of it, and -used to read up old-fashioned seamanship in -order to pose him. He never did, and the -most out-of-date sea-riddle was to the skipper -as easy as slinging a nun-buoy. -</p> - -<p> -"He beats me, I own," said the second mate. -"He's the best at all-round sailorizin' that I -ever sailed with." -</p> - -<p> -The men for'ard said the same. And the bo'son, -who was a very crusty beast from Newcastle, -was of opinion that what the 'old man' did -not know about ships was not worth knowing. -</p> - -<p> -"I'm goin' to believe 'im hif so be 'e says -'e's bin to the moon," said one cockney. "But -for hall we knows the 'old man' may not show -hup and shine as 'e does now w'en it's 'ard -weather. I was shipmet wiv a skipper once -that was wonderful gassy so long's it was -topmast stuns'l weather, but when it blew a -gale 'e crawled into 'is bunk like a sick stooard, -and there 'e stayed till the sun shone." -</p> - -<p> -They soon had a chance of seeing whether -the skipper was a fair-weather sailor or not. -They had taken an almighty time to get to -the south'ard of the Bay of Biscay, for it had -been almost as calm as a pond all the way from -the Tuscar. Now the barometer began to -fall in a steady, business-like way that looked -as if it meant work, while a heavy swell came -rolling up from the south. The dawn next -morning was what ladies would have called -beautiful, for it was full of wonderful colour, -and reached in a strange glory right to the zenith. -It afforded no joy, artistic or otherwise, to -anyone on board the <i>Ullswater</i>, as she rolled in the -swell with too little wind to steady her. The -watch below came out before breakfast, and looked -at the scarlet and gold uneasily. There was -a tremendously dark cloud on the horizon, and -the high dawn above it was alone a threat of -wind. The clouds, that were lighted by the -hidden sun, were hard and oily; they had no -loose edges, the colour was brilliant but opaque. -To anyone who could read the book of the -sky the signs were as easy as the south cone. -They meant 'very heavy weather from the -south and west.' The skipper looked a deal -more happy than he had done before. His -eyes were clear and bright; there was a ring -in his voice which encouraged everybody; he -walked the poop rubbing his hands as if he was -enjoying himself, as he undoubtedly was. He -shortened the <i>Ullswater</i> down in good time, -but set his three t'gallan's'ls over the reefed -topsails, and hung on to them until squalls -began to come out of the south which threatened -to save all trouble of furling them. By -noon the sun was out of sight under a heavy -grey pall, and the sea got up rapidly as the wind -veered into the west of south. An hour later -it was blowing enough to make it hard to hear -anyone speak, and he roared the most -dreadful and awe-inspiring lies into the ear of his -mate. -</p> - -<p> -"This is goin' to be quite a breeze, Mr. Wardle," -he shouted joyously, "but I don't think the -weather nowadays is ever what it was when I -was young. I've been hove to in the Bay for -three weeks at a time. And once we were on -our beam ends for a fortnight, and all we ate all -that time was one biscuit each. I was so thin -at the finish that I had to carry weights in -my pocket to keep myself from bein' blown -overboard. Oh, this is nothin'! We can hang -on to this till the wind is sou'-west, and then -maybe we'll heave to." -</p> - -<p> -By the middle of the afternoon watch the -<i>Ullswater</i> was hanging on to a gale on the -port-tack with her main hatch awash, and the crowd -for'ard had come to the conclusion that for -carrying sail the 'old man' beat any American -Scotchman they had ever heard of. When -he at last condescended to heave her to, all hands, -after wearing her, had a job with the fore and -mizzen-topsails that almost knocked the stuffing -out of them, as they phrased it. The skipper, -however, told them that they had done very -well, and told the steward to serve out grog. -As the owners of the <i>Ullswater</i> were teetotallers, -and about as economical as owners are made, -this grog was at the skipper's own expense. -When they had got it down, the entire crowd -said that they would believe anything the skipper -said henceforth. They went for'ard and enjoyed -themselves, while the old hooker lay to with -a grummet on her wheel, and the great south-wester -howled across the Bay. If the main-topsail -hadn't been as strong as the grog and -the skipper's yarns, it would have been blown -out of the bolt-ropes before dark, for the way -the wind blew then made the 'old man' own at -supper-time that it reminded him of the days -of his youth. -</p> - -<p> -"But you never will catch me heavin' to -under anythin' so measly as a tarpaulin' in the -rigging," said Captain Amos Brown, with his -mouth full of beef and his leg round the leg -of the table, as the <i>Ullswater</i> climbed the rising -seas and dived again like a swooping frigate-bird. -"I like to have my ship under some -kind of command however it blows. One can -never tell, Mr. Humphries, when one may need -to make sail to save some of our fellow-creatures. -As yet neither of you two gentlemen have got -as much as the cheapest pair of binoculars out -of our own Board of Trade or a foreign -Government. With me you'll have your chance to -go home to your girl and chuck somethin' of -that sort into her lap, and make her cry with -joy. I saved my own wife, who is the most -beautiful woman in the world, and weighs eleven -stone, and has for years, and I got a sextant -and a nobleman's daughter at one fell swoop. -Oh, I've been a lucky man." -</p> - -<p> -"How did you save your wife, sir?" asked -Humphries, who was almost beginning to believe -what the skipper said. -</p> - -<p> -"You may well ask, and I can't tell," replied -the skipper proudly. "I hardly remember how -it was, for when I get excited I do things which -kind friends of mine say are heroic, and I can't -remember 'em. But so far as I can recall it, -I swam near a mile in a sea like this, and took -command of a dismasted barque with most of -the crew disabled through havin' their left legs -broke, a most remarkable fact. There wasn't -a sound left leg in the whole crowd except my -wife's, and the only thing out of order was that -the captain's left leg was broke in two places. -I took charge of her, and put splints on their -legs, and we were picked up by a tug from -Queenstown and towed in there, and the doctors all -said I was the neatest hand with splints they -had ever seen. And I married my wife then -and there with a special license, and I've never -regretted it from that day to this. By Jove, -though, doesn't it blow!" -</p> - -<p> -How the "nobleman's" daughter came to be on -board the dismasted barque he did not explain, -and he shortly afterwards turned in, leaving orders -to be called if it blew much harder. -</p> - -<p> -"And when I say much harder, Mr. Wardle, -I mean much harder. Please don't disturb -me for a potty squall." -</p> - -<p> -As a result of these orders he was not called -till the early dawn, when it was blowing nearly -hard enough to unship the main capstan. Even -then Wardle would not have ventured to rouse -him if he had not fancied that he saw some -dismasted vessel far to leeward in the mirk -and smother of the storm. -</p> - -<p> -"I think I saw a vessel just now down to -loo'ard," screamed the mate as the skipper -made a bolt for him under the weather cloth on -the mizzen rigging. "Dismasted I think, sir." -</p> - -<p> -He saw the 'old man's' eye brighten and snap. -</p> - -<p> -"Where did you say?" he roared; and -before he could hear they had to wait till a -singing squall went over. -</p> - -<p> -"To loo'ard," said the mate again; and the -next moment the skipper saw what he looked for. -</p> - -<p> -"Not dismasted, on her beam ends," he -shouted. And in a few more minutes, as the grey -dawn poured across the waste of howling seas, -Wardle saw that the 'old man' was right. -</p> - -<p> -"Poor devils," he said, "it's all over with -them." -</p> - -<p> -The word that there was a vessel in difficulties -soon brought out the watch on deck, who were -taking shelter in the deckhouse. As it was -close on four o'clock the watch below soon -joined them, and presently Humphries came -up on the poop. -</p> - -<p> -"Ah!" said the second mate, "they are -done for, poor chaps." -</p> - -<p> -This the skipper heard, and he turned round -sharply and roared, "What, with me here? -Oh, not much!" -</p> - -<p> -He turned to Wardle. -</p> - -<p> -"Here's your chance for a pair of inscribed -binoculars," he said. "I believe she's French, -and the French Government have generous -minds in the way of fittings and inscriptions, -Mr. Wardle." -</p> - -<p> -"But in this sea, sir?" stammered the -mate. "Why, a boat couldn't live in it for a -second, even if we launched one safe, sir." -</p> - -<p> -"I've launched boats in seas to which this -was a mere calm," said the skipper ardently. -"And if I can't get you or Humphries to go I -shall go myself." -</p> - -<p> -"You don't mean it, sir," said the mate; -and then the skipper swore many powerful -oaths that he did mean it. -</p> - -<p> -"In the meantime we're driftin' down to -her," said Captain Brown, "for she is light -and high out of the water and we are as deep -as we can be." -</p> - -<p> -It soon got all over the ship that the 'old -man' meant to attempt a rescue of those in -distress, and there was a furious argument -for'ard as to whether it could be done, and -whether any captain was justified in asking -his crew to man a boat in such a sea. The -unanimous opinion of all the older men was -that it couldn't be done. The equally unanimous -opinion of all the younger ones was that -if the skipper said it could be done he would -go in the first boat himself rather than be beaten. -</p> - -<p> -"Well, it will be a case for volunteers," said -one old fo'c'sle man, "and when I volunteer to -drown my wife's husband I'll let all you chaps -know." -</p> - -<p> -And that was very much the opinion of -Wardle, who was a married man too. As for -Humphries, he was naturally reckless, and was -now ready to do almost anything the skipper -asked. -</p> - -<p> -"He may be a liar," said the second mate, -"but I think he's all right, and I like him." -</p> - -<p> -Now it was broad daylight, and the vessel -was within a mile of them. Sometimes she -was quite hidden, and sometimes she was flung -up high on the crest of a wave. Heavy green -seas broke over her as she lay with her -starboard yardarms dipping. She had been -running under a heavy press of canvas when she -broached to, and went over on her beam ends, -for even yet the sheets of the upper main-topsail -were out to the lower yardarm, and though -the starboard half of the sail had blown out of -the bolt ropes, the upper or port yardarm still -was sound and as tight as a drum with the -wind. -</p> - -<p> -"If she hasn't sunk yet she'll swim a while -longer," said the skipper of the <i>Ullswater</i>, as -the day grew lighter and lighter still. "Show -the British ensign, Mr. Humphries, and cheer -them up if they're alive. I wish I could tell -them that I am here. I'll bet they know me. -I'm famous with the French from Dunkirk to -Toulon. At Marseilles they call me Mounseer -Binoculaire, and stand in rows to see me pass." -</p> - -<p> -The lies that he told now no one had any -ears for. Wardle owned afterwards that he -was afraid that the 'old man' would ask him -to go in command of a boat, and, like the old -fo'c'sle man, he was thinking a good deal of his -wife's husband. But all the while Captain -Amos Brown was telling whackers that would -have done credit to Baron Munchausen, he -was really thinking of how he was to save those -whose passage to a port not named in any bills -of lading looked almost certain. By this time -the foreigner was not far to leeward of them. -</p> - -<p> -"No one could blame us if we let 'em go," -shrieked the 'old man' in his mate's ear as -the wind lulled for one brief moment. "But -I never think of what other men would do, -Mr. Wardle. I remember once in a cyclone in -the Formosa Channel——" -</p> - -<p> -What dreadful deed of inspired heroism he -had performed in a cyclone in the Formosa -Channel Wardle never knew, for the wind cut -the words from the skipper's lips and sent them -in a howling shower of spray far to loo'ard. -But his last words became audible. -</p> - -<p> -"I was insensible for the best part of a month -after it," screamed Amos Brown. "The usual -... silver-mounted ... sickened ... wife as I said." -</p> - -<p> -Then he caught the mate by the arm. -</p> - -<p> -"We'll stand by 'em, Mr. Wardle. If I get -another sextant, as I suspect, I must put up -with it. Get the lifeboat ready, Mr. Wardle, -and get all the empty small casks and oil-drums -that you can and lash them under the thwarts -fore and aft. Make her so that she can't sink -and I'll go in her myself." -</p> - -<p> -This fetched the blood into Wardle's face. -</p> - -<p> -"That's my job, sir," he said shortly, for he -forgot all about his wife's husband at that moment. -</p> - -<p> -"I know it," said the skipper, "but with your -permission I'll take it on myself, as I've had -so much experience in this sort of thing and -you've had none. And I tell you you'll have -to handle the <i>Ullswater</i> so as to pick us up as -we go to loo'ard, and it will be a job for a -seaman and no fatal error." -</p> - -<p> -The mate swore softly and went away and -did as he was told. The men hung back a little -when he told them to get the boat ready for -launching, though they followed him when -they saw him begin to cast off the gear by which -she was made fast. But the old fo'c'sle man -had something to say. -</p> - -<p> -"The captain ain't goin' to put a boat over -the side in a sea like this, is he, sir?" -</p> - -<p> -Wardle snorted. -</p> - -<p> -"You had better ask him," he replied savagely, -and then there was no more talk. He went -back to the poop and reported that the boat -was ready. He also reported that the men -were very unlikely to volunteer. -</p> - -<p> -"They'll volunteer fast enough when they -know I'm goin' to ask nothin' of them that I -don't ask of myself," said the captain. "I -really think the wind is takin' off a little, -Mr. Wardle." -</p> - -<p> -Perhaps it was, but if so the sea was a trifle -worse. But it seemed to the skipper and the -two mates that the French vessel was lower in -the water than she had been. She was getting -a pounding that nothing built by human hands -could stand for long. -</p> - -<p> -"There's not much time to lose," said the -skipper. -</p> - -<p> -Captain Amos Brown apparently knew his -business, and knew it, as far as boats were -concerned, in a way to make half the merchant -skippers at sea blush for their ignorance of one -of the finest points of seamanship. The skipper -had the crew aft under the break of the poop, -and came down to them himself. They huddled -in the space between the two poop-ladders and -looked very uneasy. -</p> - -<p> -"Do any of you volunteer to try and save -those poor fellows to loo'ard of us?" asked the -'old man.' And no one said a word. They -looked at the sea and at each other with shifty -eyes, but not at him. -</p> - -<p> -"Why, sir, 'tis our opinion that no boat -can't live in this sea," said the bo'son. -</p> - -<p> -"I think it can," said the captain, "and I'm -goin' to try. Do any of you volunteer to -come with your captain? I ask no man to -do what I won't do myself." -</p> - -<p> -There was something very fine about the liar -of the <i>Ullswater</i> as he spoke, and everyone knew -that now at least he was telling no lies. -</p> - -<p> -"I'm wiv you, sir," said a young cockney, -who was the foulest mouthed young ruffian in -the ship, and had been talked to very severely -by his mates on that very point. It is not good -form for a youngster to use worse language than -his elders at sea. Some of the others looked at -him angrily, as if they felt that they had to -go now. A red-headed Irishman followed the -cockney, just as he had followed him into horrid -dens down by Tiger Bay. -</p> - -<p> -"I'm with ye, too, sorr," said Mike. -</p> - -<p> -"I'm only askin' for six," said the skipper. -Then the old fo'c'sle man, who had been so anxious -about his wife's husband, hooked a black quid -out of his back teeth and threw it overboard. -</p> - -<p> -"I'll come, sir." -</p> - -<p> -But now all the other young men spoke -together. The skipper had his choice, and he -took the unmarried ones. -</p> - -<p> -He gave his orders now to the mate without -a touch of braggadocio. -</p> - -<p> -"We'll run her off before the wind, -Mr. Wardle, and then quarter the sea and lower -away on the lee quarter. See that there is -a man on the weather quarter with oil, so as to -give us all the smooth you can. When we are -safe afloat give us your lee to work in all you -can, and hang her up in the wind to windward -of the wreck all you know. While you are there -don't spare oil; let it come down to her -and us. It is possible that we may not be able -to get a line to the wreck, but we'll go under -her stern and try. With all her yards and -gear in the sea it won't be possible to get right -in her lee, so we may have to call to them to -jump. My reckonin' is that we may pick up -some that way before we get too far to loo'ard. -When we get down close to her, fire the signal-gun -to rouse them up to try and help us. When -you see us well to loo'ard of the wreck, put your -helm up, and run down and give us your lee -again. If we miss her and have to try again, -we must beat to windward once more. But -that's anticipatin', ain't it? You can put your -helm up now, Mr. Wardle. Shake hands." -</p> - -<p> -And they shook hands. Then the skipper -and his men took to the boat, which was ready -to lower in patent gear, with Humphries in -charge of it, and the <i>Ullswater</i> went off before -the wind. Then at a nod from the captain -she came up a little, till she quartered the sea -with very little way on her. -</p> - -<p> -"Now, Mr. Humphries," said the skipper. -In ten seconds they hit the water fair and the -hooks disengaged. The oil that was being -poured over on the weather quarter helped -them for a moment, and even when they got -beyond its immediate influence they kept some -of the lee of the ship. They drifted down upon -the wreck, and rode the seas by pulling ahead -or giving her sternway till they were within -half a cable's length of the doomed vessel. At -that moment they fired the signal-gun on board -the <i>Ullswater</i>, and they saw some of the poor -chaps to loo'ard of them show their heads above -the rail. Then the full sweep of the storm struck -them. But the liar of the <i>Ullswater</i>, who had -saved more crews in worse circumstances than -he could count, actually whistled as he sat in -the stern-sheets with a steering oar in his hands. -To handle a boat in a heavy sea, with the wind -blowing a real gale, is a thing that mighty few -deepwater seamen are good at. But the skipper -of the <i>Ullswater</i> knew his business even then -as if he had been a Deal puntman, a North Sea -trawler, or a Grand Bank fisherman all his life. -The boat in which he made his desperate and -humane venture was double-ended like a whale-boat, -and she rode the seas for the most part -like a cork. In such a situation the great thing -is to avoid a sea breaking inboard, and -sometimes they pulled ahead, and sometimes backed -astern, so that when a heavy sea did break -it did so to windward or to loo'ard of them. -And yet a hundred times in the dreadful full -minutes that it took them to get down to the -wreck there were moments when those in the -boat and those in the <i>Ullswater</i> thought that -it was all over with them. Once a sea that no -one could have avoided broke over them, and -it was desperate work to bale her out. And the -roar of the wind deafened them; the seas raced -and hissed; they pulled or backed water with -their teeth clenched. Some of them thought -of nothing; others were sorry they had -volunteered, and looked at the captain furiously -while he whistled through his clenched teeth. -One cockney swore at him horribly in a thin -piping scream, and called him horrid names. -For this is the strange nature of man. But he -pulled as well as the others, and the skipper -smiled at him as his blasphemies cut the wind. -For the skipper saw a head over the rail of the -wreck, and he knew that there was work to -be done and that he was doing it, and that the -brave fool that cursed him was a man and was -doing his best. The words he spoke were such -as come out of a desperate mind, and out of a -man that can do things. They towed an oil-bag -to windward, but there was no oil to calm -the movements of the soul at such a time. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, damn you, pull!" said Amos Brown. -He ceased to whistle, and cursed with a sudden -and tremendous frenzy that was appalling. -The cursing cockney looked up at him with -open mouth. -</p> - -<p> -By the 'old man's' side in the stern-sheets -there was a coil of rope attached to a little grapnel. -If the men still alive on board the French barque -were capable of motion they might be able to -make a rope fast, but after hours of such a -storm, while they were lashed under the weather -bulwarks, it was possible that they were almost -numb and helpless. Now the boat came sweeping -down by the stern of the barque; they saw -her smashed rudder beating to and fro, and -heard the battering-ram of the south-west seas -strike on her weather side. -</p> - -<p> -"Back water!" roared the skipper, for astern -of them a big sea roared and began to lift a -dreadful lip. They held the boat, and the 'old -man' kept it straight on the roaring crest, and -at that moment they were lifted high, and saw -beyond the hull of the barque the white waste -of driven seas. Then they went down, down, -down; and when they were flung up again the -skipper screamed to those on board, and as he -screamed he threw the grapnel at the gear of -the spanker, and as they surged past her stern -the hooks caught in the bight of her loosened -vangs. For all her gear was in a coil and tangle, -and the topping lifts of the gaff had parted. -The men backed water hard, and the boat hung -half in the lee of the wreck, but dangerously -near the wreck of the mizzen-topmast, which -had gone at the cap and swayed in the swash -of the seas. Now they saw the seamen whom -they had come to save, and no man of the boat's -crew could hereafter agree as to what happened -or the order of events. The skipper called -to the poor wretches, and one cut himself -adrift and slid down the sloping deck and struck -the lower rail with horrible force. They heard -him squeal, and then a sea washed him over to -them. He was insensible, and that was lucky, -for his leg was broken. Then they made out -that one of the survivors was the captain, and -they saw that he was speaking, though they -heard nothing. There were, it seemed, no more -than ten of the crew left, for they counted ten -with the one man that they had. But it seemed -that they moved slow, and the sea was worse -than ever. It boiled over the weather-rail -and then came over green, and all the men in -the boats yelled filthy oaths at the poor numb -wretches, and called them horrible names. The -Irishman prayed aloud to heaven and to all -the saints and to the Virgin, and then cursed so -awfully that the others fell into silence. -</p> - -<p> -"Jump, jump!" screamed the skipper, and -another man slid down the deck and came -overboard for them. He went under, and got -his head cut open on a swaying block, and knew -nothing of it till he was dragged on board. Then -he wiped the blood from his eyes and fell to -weeping, whereon the swearing cockney, who -had been oddly silent since his eyes had met the -skipper's, cuffed him hard on the side of the -head, and said, "'Old your bloody row, you -bleedin' 'owler!" And then three of his mates -laughed as they watched their boat and fended -if off the wreck of the mizzen-mast with deadly -and preoccupied energy. The cockney took -out a foul handkerchief and dabbed it on the -bleeding man's head, and then threw the rag -at him with an oath, saying that a little blood -was nothing, and that he was a blasted Dago, -and, further, he'd feel sorry for him when he -was on board the <i>Ullswater</i>. Then another -man jumped and was swept under and past -them, and just as he was going the skipper -reached over and, grabbing him by the hair, -got him on board in a state of unconsciousness. -Then three of the poor fellows jumped at once, -two being saved and the third never showing -above the water again. -</p> - -<p> -"As well now as wiv the rest of hus," said -the cockney, who had give the Dago his 'wipe,' -and he snivelled a little. "Hif I gets hout of -this I'm for stayin' in Rovver'ive all the rest -of my life." -</p> - -<p> -Then they got another, and there were only -the French skipper and one more man left. It -was probably his mate, but he had a broken -arm and moved slow. The French captain got -a rope round him and slid him down to loo'ard. -But when he was half-way down the old chap -(he was at anyrate white-haired) lost his own -hold, and came down into the swash of the lee -scuppers with a run. He fell overboard, and -the Irishman got him by the collar. He was -lugged on board with difficulty, and lay down -on the bottom boards absolutely done for. The -other man didn't show up, and the men said -that he must be dead. They began talking all -at once, and the skipper, who was now up at -the bows of the boat, turned suddenly and cuffed -the Irishman hard, whereupon Mike drew his -sheath-knife, saying in a squeal, "You swine, I'll -kill you!" But the bo'son struck him with the -loom of his oar under the jaw, and nearly broke -it. He snatched his knife from him and threw -it overboard. -</p> - -<p> -Now they saw the <i>Ullswater</i> right to windward -of the sinking barque, and some oil that they -poured into the sea came down to them, so -that the hiss of the sea was so much less that -it seemed as if silence fell on them. They -heard the Irishman say with difficulty as he -held his jaw— -</p> - -<p> -"All right, my puggy, I'll have your blood." -</p> - -<p> -He had lost his oar, and the other men were -wild with him. What they might have said -no one knows, but the skipper turned to them, -saying that he would go on board after the -last man. They all said at once that he -shouldn't. They gave him orders not to do it, -and their eyes were wild and fierce, for they -were strained and tired, and fear got hold of -them, making them feel chilly in the fierce -wind. They clung to the captain in their -minds. If he did not come back they would -never be saved, for now the boat was heavily -laden. They opened their mouths and said -'Oh, please, sir,' and then he jumped -overboard and went hand over hand along the -grapnel line and the tangle of the vangs. They -groaned, and the Irishman wagged his head -savagely, though no one knew what he meant, -least of all himself. They saw the 'old man' -clamber on board as a big sea broke over her, -and they lost sight of him in the smother of -it. They sat in the heaving boat as if they -were turned into stone, and then the Irishman -saw something in the sea and grabbed for it. -He hauled hard, and they cried out that the -skipper mustn't try it again. But as the -drowning man came to the surface they saw that it -was not the skipper after all, but the French -mate, and they said 'Oh, hell!' being of half -a mind to let him go. But the bo'son screamed -out something, and they hung on to a dead man's -legs, for to the dead man's hands the skipper -was clinging. They got him on board not -quite insensible, and the Irishman fell to weeping -over him. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, it's the brave bhoy you are," he said; -and then the skipper came to and vomited -some water. -</p> - -<p> -"Hold on, what are you doin'?" he asked, -as he saw the two cockneys trying to heave -the dead man back in the sea. They said -that he was dead. The bo'son said that the -deader had only half a head, and couldn't -be alive in that condition. So they let the -body go, and the skipper woke right up and -was a man again. They hauled up to the -grapnel or near it, for they were strained enough -to do foolish things. Then they saw it was -silly and cut the line. They drifted to loo'ard -fast, and got out into the full force of the gale, -which howled horribly. They saw the <i>Ullswater</i> -lying to under her sturdy old maintop-sail, -and as soon as they saw her they were -seen by the second mate, who was up aloft with -his coat half torn off him. To get her off before -the wind quick they showed the head of the -foretopmast-staysail, which was promptly blown -out of the bolt ropes with a report they heard -in the boat like the dull sound of a far-off gun. -She squared away and came to the nor'-east, -and presently was to windward of them, and -in her lee they felt very warm and almost safe, -though they went up to the sky like a lark and -then down as if into a grave. And then they -saw their shipmates' faces, and the skipper -laughed oddly. The strain had told on him, -as it had on all of them, not least perhaps on -some of those who had not faced the greater -risks. And it seemed to the skipper that there -was something very absurd in Wardle's whiskers -as the wind caught them and wrapped them -in a kind of hairy smear across one weather-beaten -cheek. All those in the boat were now -quite calm; the excitement was on board the -<i>Ullswater</i>, and when the gale let them catch a -word of what the mate said, as he stood on the -rail with his arm about a backstay, they caught -the quality of strain. -</p> - -<p> -"Ould Wardle is as fidgety as a fool," said -Mike the Irishman, as he still held on to his -jaw. "He'll be givin' someone the oncivil word -for knockin' the oar out o' me hand." -</p> - -<p> -He sat with one hand to his face, with the -other, as he had turned round, he helped the -bo'son. -</p> - -<p> -"What about your pullin' your knife on -the captain?" asked the bo'son. -</p> - -<p> -Then Micky shook his head. -</p> - -<p> -"Did I now? And he struck me, and he's a -brave lad," he said simply. But the hook of -the davit tackle dangled overhead as they were -flung skyward on a sea. There were davit -ropes fitted, and one slapped the Irishman -across the face. -</p> - -<p> -"It's in the wars I am," he said; and then -there was a wind flurry that bore the <i>Ullswater</i> -almost over on them. The way was nearly -off her, and in another minute she would be -drifting and coming down on them. -</p> - -<p> -"Now!" screamed the skipper, and they -hooked on and were hauled out and up. -</p> - -<p> -"Holy Mother," said Mike, "and I'm not -drowned this trip!" -</p> - -<p> -The boat was hauled on board, and when the -skipper's foot touched the deck he reeled. -Humphries caught him. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, steady, sir," said Humphries, as Mike -came up to them. -</p> - -<p> -The captain stared at him, for he did not -remember striking him. -</p> - -<p> -"It's the brrave man you are," said Mike -simply; "and you're the firrst man that I've tuk -a blow from since I was the length of my arm. -Oh, bhoys, it's the brrave man the skipper is." -</p> - -<p> -The second mate pushed him away, and he -went like a child and lent a hand to help the -poor 'divils of Dagoes,' as he called those -who had been saved. The mate came and -shook hands with the captain. The tears ran -down Wardle's hairy face, and he could not -speak. -</p> - -<p> -"I shall have another pair of binoculars -over this," said Captain Amos Brown with -quivering lips. -</p> - -<p> -"You are a hero," bawled the mate as the -wind roared again in a blinding squall with -rain in it. The skipper flushed. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, it's nothin', this," he said. "Now in -the Bay of Bengal——" -</p> - -<p> -The wind took that story to loo'ard, and no -one heard it. But they heard him wind up -with 'gold-mounted binoculars.' -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -* * * * * * * -</p> - -<p> -A year later he got a pair from the great -French Republic. They were the first he ever -got. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> -THE END -</p> - -<p><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="t4"> -<i>Printed by</i> MORRISON & GIBB LIMITED, <i>Edinburgh</i> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BLUE PETER ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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