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Updated: June 12, 2025
At the top Captain Selover met him. "Hello, doctor," he squeaked. "Here in good time. We're busy, you see. Let me carry your chest for you." "No, no!" Dr. Schermerhorn fairly glared. "It's almighty heavy," insisted the captain. "Let me give you a hand." "You must not touch!" emphatically ordered the scientist. "Where iss the cabin?" He disappeared down the companionway clasping his precious load.
"I'm not going to have this crew aboard," stated Captain Selover positively, "I'm going to clean her." He himself stayed, however. We rowed in, constructed a hasty fireplace of stones, spread our blankets, and built an unnecessary fire near the beach. "Clean her!" grumbled Thrackles, "my eye!" "I'd rather round the Cape," growled Pulz hopelessly.
At last the donkey engine was cleared and reinstalled, atop the cliff. The Nigger built under her a fire of black walnut; Captain Selover handed out grog all around; and we started her up with a cheer, just to see the wheels revolve.
I was to be saved because none of the conspirators understood navigation. The next morning I approached Captain Selover. "Captain," said I, "I think it my duty to report that there is trouble brewing among the crew." "There always is," he replied, unmoved. "But this is serious. Dr. Schermerhorn came aboard with a chest which the men think holds treasure.
We could see his light now in one part of her, now in the other. The men claimed he was scrubbing her teeth. "Old Scrubs" they called him to his back: never Captain Selover. "He has to clean up after his own feet, he's so dirty," sagely proffered Handy Solomon. And this was true. The seaman's prophecy held good. Seven weeks held us at that infernal job seven weeks of solid, grinding work.
Here, however, was a schooner of about a hundred and fifty tons burden. I looked her over. You're all acquainted with the Laughing Lass and the perfection of her lines. You have not known her under Captain Ezra Selover. She was the cleanest ship I ever saw. Don't know how he accomplished it, with a crew of four and the cook; but he did.
Promptly at six, then, I returned with a sea chest, bound I knew not whither, to be gone I knew not for how long, and pledged to act as second officer on a little hundred-and-fifty-ton schooner. I had every reason to be satisfied with my disguise, if such it could be called. Captain Selover at first failed to recognise me. Then he burst into his shrill cackle. "Didn't know you," he trebled.
After supper, Captain Selover rowed himself back to the ship. "Eagen," he had said, drawing me aside, "I'm going to leave you with them. It's better that one of us I think as owner I ought to be aboard " "Of course, sir," said I, "it's the only proper place for you." "I'm glad you think so," he rejoined, apparently relieved.
During the dog watches, often, every man aboard would be below, for at that period Captain Selover loved to take the wheel in person, a thick cigar between his lips, the dingy checked shirt wide open to expose his hairy chest to the breeze. In the twilight of the forecastle we had some great sea-lawyer's talks I say "We," though I took little part in them.
He found it, again in the evidence of expectoration, and as Perdosa happened to be handiest, fell on the unfortunate Mexican. Perdosa protested that he had had nothing to do with it, but Captain Selover, enraged as always when his precious deck was soiled, would not listen. Finally the Mexican grew sulky and turned away as though refusing to hear more.
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