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Updated: May 31, 2025
Trask listened, and across the darkening waters he saw a white spot drifting out slowly, and then in the evening hush heard the clatter of oars. "The cartridges!" he cried. "They're coming out, Peth and the others. With Jarrow dead, we've a fight on our hands!" He leaped over the bulwark, and dashed into Jarrow's cabin, to regain the ammunition he had surrendered.
"Hook up?" asked Peth, edging along the bar until he had an elbow against Jarrow's side. "Mighty Nelson!" whispered Jarrow. "It was a lee shore, and no mistake. Looney lied." "Lied!" whispered Peth. "They never told him they wanted us," continued Jarrow, with due caution, glancing about the deserted bar. "But I put it through. They're swells and no mistake." "Then it's a go, skipper?"
The parley between Peth and Jarrow lasted several minutes, and then other heads and shoulders appeared in the brush, peering out. Jarrow's voice, raised threateningly, reached those in the schooner in a rumbling sort of growl, although they could not distinguish his words. He appeared to be exasperated that his crew should stand about in the jungle and refuse to obey his orders.
Trask was surprised at the sharpness and obvious animus in Jarrow's question. His tone, despite the fact that he spoke scarcely above a whisper, carried a sneer. Trask was on the point of asking Jarrow if he had ever questioned his methods of navigation or seamanship, but he held his tongue for it was no time to precipitate a quarrel.
"You'd better put your hat on, Marge, or you'll have a skinned nose," said her father. "We'll be right in to breakfast." "There's some hocus-pocus about this," whispered Trask, as he and Locke moved forward for a private talk. "What do you make of it?" "Jarrow's in on the deal with the crew. That's why I wanted him out of the way for awhile so we could figure things out.
This man I got could buy your old schooner and a hundred like her, an' never miss the money. He asked for a boat and I said Jarrow, an' when the young lady asked who's to skipper it, I said Jarrow's the man, an' Peth for mate, an' he sung out for me to bring ye up to the tavern an' sign the charter. I'll say no more I'll see Hood."
"Why not?" "I reckon Cap'n Jarrow's got some friends along." "I suppose you side with the captain, eh?" "I mos' certain do. Old Doc Bird knows whar his bread is buttered, an' he keeps right close alongside de skipper." "Mr. Peth knows that?" "Mr. Peth never gits no chance to fergit it. An' the cook, he ain' got no use fo' Mr. Peth." "I see." "He better not go argufyin' with Shanghai Tom."
But Jarrow's sharpness put an end to the pleasant relations which had been resumed. In a few minutes he found an excuse to leave the table and did not come back. "We certainly have joined a happy family," said Locke. "If it wasn't that we were so near to this island, I'd be for turning the schooner around and " "Oh, Dad!" said Marjorie. "Don't take it so seriously! I want to see the island."
Locke regarded his visitor with a puzzled air, but concealed his surprise. The stranger seemed to him to be strangely furtive and sinister, standing in the half-light, ears twitching, a clipped skull thrust forward on a short neck like the head of a turtle pushing out from a shell. "I didn't get your name, sir," said Locke, in a friendly way, to save his guest embarrassment. "Jarrow's my name.
If they come back, I'll call you in time to have the weather on 'em." Jarrow's advice sounded sensible enough. With the crew out in a boat there was little imminent danger, and Trask felt that it would be wise to remain aft, for if the crew suspected their game was known they might attempt to board the schooner from the stern.
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