In the crows nest Jim still yelled and waved like one distraught, while the dory returned at a smart clip toward the schooner. Kitchell lathered with fury.
Oh-h, he murmured softly through his gritted teeth. Jess lemmee lay mee two hands afoul of you wunst, you gibbering, yellow philly-loo bird, believe me, youll dance. Shut up! he roared; shut up, you crazy do-do, aint we coming fast as we can?
The dory bumped alongside, and the Captain was over the rail like quicksilver. The hands were all in the bow, looking and pointing to the west. Jim slid down the ratlines, bubbling over with suppressed news. Before his feet had touched the deck Kitchell had kicked him into the stays again, fulminating blasphemies.
Sing! he shouted, as the Chinaman clambered away like a bewildered ape; sing a little more. I would if I were you. Why dont you sing and wave, you dam fool philly-loo bird?
Yas, sah, answered the coolie.
What you yell for? Charlie, ask him whaffo him sing.
I tink-um ship, answered Charlie calmly, looking out over the starboard quarter.
Ship!
Him velly sick, hazarded the Chinaman from the ratlines, adding a sentence in Chinese to Charlie.
He says he tink-um ship sick, all same; ask um somethingship velly sick.
By this time the Captain, Wilbur, and all on board could plainly make out a sail some eight miles off the starboard bow. Even at that distance, and to eyes so inexperienced as those of Wilbur, it needed but a glance to know that something was wrong with her. It was not that she failed to ride the waves with even keel, it was not that her rigging was in disarray, nor that her sails were disordered. Her distance was too great to make out such details. But in precisely the same manner as a trained physician glances at a doomed patient, and from that indefinable look in the face of him and the eyes of him pronounces the verdict death, so Kitchell took in the stranger with a single comprehensive glance, and exclaimed:
Wreck!
Yas, sah. I tink-um velly sick.
Oh, go to ll, or go below and fetch up my glasshustle!
The glass was brought. Son, exclaimed Kitchellwhere is that man with the brains? Son, come aloft here with me. The two clambered up the ratlines to the crows nest. Kitchell adjusted the glass.
Shes a bark, he muttered, iron builtabout seven hundred tons, I guessin distress. Theres her ensign upside down at the mizznheadlooks like Norwayan her distress signals on the spanker gaff. Take a blink at her, sonwhat do you make her out? Lord, shes ridin high.
Wilbur took the glass, catching the stranger after several clumsy attempts. She was, as Captain Kitchell had announced, a bark, and, to judge by her flag, evidently Norwegian.
How she rolls! muttered Wilbur.
Thats what I cant make out, answered Kitchell. A bark such as she aint ought to roll thata way; her ballastd steady her.
Whats the flags on that boom aftones red and white and square-shaped, and the others the same color, only swallow-tail in shape?
Thats H. B., meanin: I am in need of assistance.
Well, wheres the crew? I dont see anybody on board.
Oh, theyre there right enough.
Then theyre pretty well concealed about the premises, turned Wilbur, as he passed the glass to the Captain.
She does seem kinda empty, said the Captain in a moment, with a sudden show of interest that Wilbur failed to understand.
An wheres her boats? continued Kitchell. I dont just quite make out any boats at all. There was a long silence.
Seems to be a sort of haze over her, observed Wilbur.
I noticed that, air kinda quivers oily-like. No boats, no boatsan I cant see anybody aboard. Suddenly Kitchell lowered the glass and turned to Wilbur. He was a different man. There was a new shine in his eyes, a wicked line appeared over the nose, the jaw grew salient, prognathous.
Son, he exclaimed, gimleting Wilbur with his contracted eyes; I have reemarked as how you had brains. I kin fool the coolies, but I cant fool you. It looks to me as if that bark yonder was a derelict; an do you know what that means to us? Chaw on it a turn.
A derelict?
If theres a crew on board theyre concealed from the public gazean where are the boats then? I figger shes an abandoned derelict. Do you know what that means for usfor you and I? It means, and gripping Wilbur by the shoulders, he spoke the word into his face with a savage intensity. It means salvage, do you savvy?salvage, salvage. Do you figger what salvage on a seven-hundred-tonner would come to? Well, just lemmee drop it into your think tank, an lay to what I say. Its all the ways from fifty to seventy thousand dollars, whatever her cargo is; call it sixty thousandthirty thou apiece. Oh, I dont know! he exclaimed, lapsing to landmans slang. Whad I say about a million to one on the unexpected at sea?
Thirty thousand! exclaimed Wilbur, without thought as yet.
Now yr singin songs, cried the Captain. Listen to me, son, he went on, rapidly shutting up the glass and thrusting it back in the case; my names Kitchell, and Im hog right through. He emphasized the words with a leveled forefinger, his eyes flashing. HOG spells very truly yours, Alvinza Kitchellninety-nine swine an me make a hundred swine. Im a shoat with both feet in the trough, first, last, an always. If that barks abandoned, an I says she is, shes ours. Im out for anything that theres stuff in. I guess Im more of a beach-comber by nature than anything else. If shes abandoned she belongs to us. To ll with this coolie game. Well go beach-combin, you and I. Well board that bark and work her into the nearest portSan Diego, I guessand get the salvage on her if we have to swim in her. Are you with me? he held out his hand. The man was positively trembling from head to heel. It was impossible to resist the excitement of the situation, its noveltythe high crows nest of the schooner, the keen salt air, the Chinamen grouped far below, the indigo of the warm ocean, and out yonder the forsaken derelict, rolling her light hull till the garboard streak flashed in the sun.
Well, of course, Im with you, Cap, exclaimed Wilbur, gripping Kitchells hand. When theres thirty thousand to be had for the asking I guess Im a nachel bawn beach-comber myself.
Now, nothing about this to the coolies.
But how will you make out with your owners, the Six Companies? Arent you bound to bring the Bertha in?
Rot my owners! exclaimed Kitchell. I aint a skipper of no oil-boat any longer. Im a beach-comber. He fixed the wallowing bark with glistening eyes. Gawd strike me, he murmured, aint she a daisy? Its a little Klondike. Come on, son.
The two went down the ratlines, and Kitchell ordered a couple of the hands into the dory that had been rowing astern. He and Wilbur followed. Charlie was left on board, with directions to lay the schooner to. The dory flew over the water, Wilbur setting the stroke. In a few moments she was well up with the bark. Though a larger boat than the Bertha Millner, she was rolling in lamentable fashion, and every laboring heave showed her bottom incrusted with barnacles and seaweed.
Her fore and main topsls and togallantsls were set, as also were her lower staysls and royals. But the braces seemed to have parted, and the yards were swinging back and forth in their ties. The spanker was brailed up, and the spanker boom thrashed idly over the poop as the bark rolled and rolled and rolled. The mainmast was working in its shoe, the rigging and backstays sagged. An air of abandonment, of unspeakable loneliness, of abomination hung about her. Never had Wilbur seen anything more utterly alone. Within three lengths the Captain rose in his place and shouted: