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As you knows, this thing's been goin' for'ard for some time, an' I desires to hear if from any standp'int of public interest do you-all figger that steps should be took? "In order to fully onderstand Enright in all he means, I oughter lay bar' that Dave's been conductin' himse'f in a manner not to be explained for mighty likely she's eight weeks.
Mellaire's greeting, when I came on deck this morning, bruised and weary, aching in every bone and muscle from sixty hours of being tossed about. The wind had fallen to a dead calm toward morning, and the Elsinore, her several spread sails booming and slatting, rolled more miserably than ever. Mr. Mellaire pointed for'ard of our starboard beam.
But the terrible fashion in which he coughed and strangled would quickly have undeceived me, had not Louis, bending over the booby-companion, uttered a startled exclamation. I joined him, and one whiff of the air that came up from below made me catch my breath and gasp. I had inhaled sulphur. On the instant I forgot the Elsinore, the mutineers for'ard, everything save one thing.
When the boatswain went for'ard and gave the necessary orders, the men received them, as I had quite expected, with black looks, muttered curses, and inarticulate growls; but the sight of Chips and me lowering and stowing the big mainsail while they surlily slouched about the deck, letting go halliards, clewing up and hauling down; and perhaps, more than all, the aspect of the heavens, conveying a message that no man could misinterpret, caused them somewhat to modify their attitude, and by four bells the ship was as nearly ready for what might come as we could make her.
"Goodness knows I want you, Serena; but but for mercy sakes don't call it a 'time like this. Sounds as if we'd just come from the cemetery instead of the depot. We ain't been to a funeral; we're only lookin' for'ard to a weddin'." In spite of this philosophical declaration the remainder of that afternoon was rather funereal for Captain Dan.
"Short hawse," French Pete whispered to 'Frisco Kid, who went for'ard and dropped the anchor, paying out the slightest quantity of slack. The Dazzler's skiff was brought alongside, as was also the small boat in which the two strangers had come aboard. "See that that cub don't make a fuss," Bill commanded in an undertone, as he joined his partner in his own boat. "Can you row?"
The U-boat had ordered them into the boats, and, only the destroyer had come along when it did, they would 'a' taken to the boats, and then they'd 'a' been picked up and no more watches or ships or holes in the for'ard compartment to worry about. There was nothing left but for Doc to call for volunteers from among the gun crew.
Most o' that Mother Lode the miners are lookin' for is sand now, thirteen hundred miles away in Norton Sound." "Just my luck," said the Captain gloomily, going a little for'ard, as though definitely giving up mining and returning to his own proper business. "But the rest o' the Mother Lode, the gold and magnetic iron, was too heavy to travel.
And then comes the problem of how to convey power for'ard from the engine to the winch. And by the time all this is settled, we redistribute the allotments of space to the engine-room, galley, bath-room, state-rooms, and cabin, and begin all over again.
"You are bad men, and you'll all be hung, every one of you; I shall come and see it." "The cap'n's welcome to her for me," murmured the helmsman in a husky whisper to the man next to him. "The vixen!" "Very good," said the mate. "If you won't, you won't. This end of the ship'll belong to you after eight o'clock of a night. Lewis, you must go for'ard with the men."