Thebodywasthatofamiddle-aged，fine-lookingman，hisheadcoveredwiththefur，ear-lappedcapthatNorwegiansaffect，eveninthetropics。Theeyeswerewideopen，thefacediscolored。Inthelastgaspofsuffocationthesetoffalseteethhadbeenforcedhalf-wayoutofhismouth，distortingthecountenancewithahideoussimiangrin。InstantlyKitchell’seyewascaughtbytheglintofthegoldinwhichtheseteethwereset。
\"Here’sabout$100tobeginwith，\"heexclaimed，andpickinguptheteeth，droppedthemintohispocketwithawinkatWilbur。
ThebodyofthedeadCaptainwaspassedupthroughtheskylightandslidoutonthedeck，andWilburandKitchellturnedtheirattentiontowhathadbeenhisstateroom。
TheCaptain’sroomwasthelargestoneofthesixstateroomsopeningfromthemaincabin。
\"Hereweare！\"exclaimedKitchellasheandWilburentered。\"Theoldman’sroom，andnomistake。\"
Besidesthebunk，thestateroomwasfittedupwithaloungeofredplushscrewedtothebulkhead。Arollofchartsleanedinonecorner，analarmclock，stoppedat1：15，stoodonashelfinthecompanyofsomedozenpaper-coverednovelsandadrinking-glassfullofcigars。Overthelounge，however，wastherackofinstruments，sextant，barometer，chronometer，glass，andthelike，securelyscreweddown，whileagainstthewall，infrontofaswivelleatherchairthatwasironedtothedeck，wasthelockedsecretary。
\"Lookat’em，justlookat’em，willyou！\"saidKitchell，runninghisfingerslovinglyoverthepolishedbrassoftheinstruments。
\"There’sathousanddollarsofstuffrighthere。Thechronometer’sworthfivehundredalone，Bennett&Sons’ownmake。\"
Heturnedtothesecretary。
\"Now！\"heexclaimedwithalongbreath。
WhatfollowedthrilledWilburwithalternateexcitement，curiosity，andavividsenseofdesecrationandsacrilege。Forthelifeofhimhecouldnotmakethethingseemrightorlegalinhiseyes，andyethehadneitherthewishnorthepowertostayhishandorinterferewithwhatKitchellwasdoing。
TheCaptainputthebladeoftheaxeinthechinkofthesecretary’sdoorandwrencheditfree。Itopeneddowntoformasortofdesk，anddisclosedanarrayofcubby-holesandtwosmalldoors，bothlocked。TheselatterKitchellsmashedinwiththeaxe-head。Thenheseatedhimselfintheswivelchairandbegantorifletheircontentssystematically，Wilburleaningoverhisshoulder。
Theheatfromthecoalbelowthemwasalmostunbearable。Inthecabinthesixdoorskeptupacontinuousear-shockingfusillade，asthoughhalfadozenmenwerefightingwithrevolvers;fromwithout，downtheopenskylight，camethesing-songtalkoftheChinamenandthewashandrippleofthetwovessels，nowsidebyside。Theair，foulbeyondexpression，tastedofbrass，theirheadsswamandachedtobursting，butabsorbedintheirworktheyhadnothoughtofthelapseoftimenorthediscomfortoftheirsurroundings。Twiceduringtheexaminationofthebark’spapers，KitchellsentWilburoutintothecabinforthewhiskeydecanterintheswingingracks。
\"Here’sthecharterpapers，\"saidKitchell，unfoldingandspreadingthemoutonebyone;\"andhere’stheclearingpapersfromBlythinEngland。Thisyere’stheinsoorance，andhere，thisis——rotthat，nothin’butthearticlesforthecrew——nousetous。\"
Inaseparateenvelope，carefullysealedandbound，theycameupontheCaptain’sprivatepapers。AmarriagecertificatesettingforththeunionbetweenEilertSternersen，ofFruholmen，Norway，andSarahMoran，ofsomeseaporttown（thenamewasindecipherable）oftheNorthofEngland。NextcameabirthcertificateofadaughternamedMoran，datedtwenty-twoyearsback，andabillofsaleofthebark\"LadyLetty，\"wherebyatwo-
thirdsinterestwasconveyedfromthepreviousowners（ashipbuildingfirmofChristiania）toCapt。EilertSternersen。
\"Theoldmanwashisownboss，\"commentedKitchell。\"Hello！\"heremarked，\"lookhere\";ayellowedphotographwasinhishandthepictureofastout，fair-hairedwomanofaboutforty，wearingenormouspendantearringsinthestyleoftheearlysixties。
Belowwaswritten：\"S。MoranSternersen，ob。1867。\"
\"Oldwomancoppedoff，\"saidKitchell，\"somuchthebetterforus;
noheirstoputintheirgab;an’——holdhard——steadyall——here’sthewill，s’helpme。\"
Theonlyitemsofimportanceinthewillweretheconfirmationofthewife’sdeathandtheexpresslystatedbequestof\"thebarkknownasandsailingunderthenameofthe’LadyLetty’tomyonlyandbeloveddaughter，Moran。\"
\"Well，\"saidWilbur。
TheCaptainsuckedhismustache，thenfuriously，strikingthedeskwithhisfist：
\"Thebark’sours！\"therewasacertainringofdefianceinhisvoice。\"Damnthewill！Iain’tsocock-sureaboutthelaw，butI’llmakesure。\"
\"Ashow？\"saidWilbur。
Kitchellslungthewilloutoftheopenportintothesea。
\"That’show，\"heremarked。\"I’mtheheir。Ifoundthebark;minesheis，an’mineshestays——yoursan’mine，thatis。\"
ButWilburhadnoteventimetothoroughlyenjoythesatisfactionthattheCaptain’swordsconveyed，beforeanideasuddenlypresenteditselftohim。Thegirlhehadfoundonboardofthebark，theruddy，fair-hairedgirlofthefineandhardyNorsetype——thatwasthedaughter，ofcourse;thatwas\"Moran。\"
Instantlythesituationadjusteditselfinhisimagination。Thetwoinseparablesfatheranddaughter，sailorsboth，theirlivespassedtogetheronshipboard，andthe\"LadyLetty\"theirdream，theirambition，avesselthatatlasttheycouldcalltheirown。
Thenthisdisastrousvoyage——perhapsthefirstintheirnewcraft——
thecombustioninthecoal——thepanicterrorofthecrewandtheirdesertionofthebark，andthesturdyresolutionofthefatheranddaughtertobringthe\"Letty\"in——toworkherintoportalone。Theyhadfailed;thefatherhaddiedfromgas;thegirl，atleastforthemoment，wascrazedfromitseffects。Butthebarkhadnotbeenabandoned。Theownerwasonboard。Kitchellwaswrong;shewasnoderelict;notonepennycouldtheygainbyhersalvage。
ForaninstantawaveofbitterestdisappointmentpassedoverWilburashesawhis$30，000dwindlingtonothing。Thentheinstinctsofhabitreassertedthemselves。Thetaxpayerinhimwasstrongerthanthefreebooter，afterall。Hefeltthatitwashisdutytoseetoitthatthegirlhadherrights。Kitchellmustbemadeawareofthesituation——mustbetoldthatMoran，thedaughter，theCaptain’sheir，wasonboardtheschooner;thatthe\"kid\"foundinthewheel-boxwasagirl。Butonsecondthoughtthatwouldneverdo。Aboveallthings，thebruteKitchellmustnotbeshownthatagirlwasaboardtheschooneronwhichhehadabsolutecommand，nor，settingthequestionofMoran’ssexaside，mustKitchellknowherevenasthedeadCaptain’sheir。Therewasadifferenceinthemenhere，andWilburappreciatedit。
Kitchell，thelaw-abidingtaxpayer，wasaweaklingincomparisonwithKitchell，thefree-booterandbeach-comberinsightofhisprize。
\"Son，\"saidtheCaptain，makingabundleofallthepapers，\"taketheseovertomybunkandhide’emunderthedonkey’sbreakfast。
Stopabit，\"headded，asWilburstartedaway。\"I’llgowithyou。
We’llhavetoburytheoldman。\"
ThroughoutalltheafternoontheCaptainhadbeendrinkingthewhiskeyfromthedecanterfoundinthecabin;nowhestoodupunsteadily，and，raisinghisglass，exclaimed：
\"Sonny，here’stoKitchell，Wilbur&Co。，beach-combers，unlimited。Whatdoyousay，hey？\"
\"Ionlywanttobesurethatwe’vearighttothebark，\"answeredWilbur。
\"Righttoher——ri-hightto’er，\"hiccoughedtheCaptain。\"Strikemeblind，I’dliketoseeanyonetry’ntakeherawayfromAlvinzaKitchellnow，\"andhethrustouthischinatWilbur。
\"Well，somuchthebetter，then，\"saidWilbur，pocketingthepapers。Thepairascendedtothedeck。
TheburialofCaptainSternersenwasadreadfulbusiness。
Kitchell，fargoneinwhiskey，stoodonthehouseissuinghisorders，drinkingfromoneofthedecantershehadbroughtupwithhim。Hehadalreadyrifledthedeadman’spockets，andhadeventakenawaythebootsandfur-linedcap。Clothswerecutfromthespankerandrolledaroundthebody。ThenKitchellorderedthepeakhalyardsunroveandusedaslashingstotiethecanvasaroundthecorpse。Theredandwhiteflags（thedistresssignals）werestillboundonthehalyards。
\"Leave’emon。Leave’emon，\"commandedKitchell。\"Use’masashrou’。Allreadynow，stan’bytolethergo。\"
WilburlookedoverattheschoonerandnotedwithimmensereliefthatMoranwasnotinsight。SuddenlyanabruptreactiontookplaceintheCaptain’saddledbrain。
\"Can’tbury’um’ithout’isteeth，\"hegabbledsolemnly。Helaidbackthecanvasandreplacedtheset。\"Oleman’dha’ntme’fI
kep’’steeth。Strike！looka’that，Iput’eminupsidedown。
Nev’min’，upsi’down，downsi’up，whazodds，allsamewitholeBill，hey，oleBill，allsamewithyou，hey？\"Suddenlyhebegantohowlwithlaughter\"T’thinkabein’buriedwithy’rteethupsi’
down。Oh，mee，butthat’sagoodgrind。Stan’bytoheaveoleUncleBillover——ready，heave，an’awayshegoes。\"Herantotheside，wavinghishatandlookingover。\"Goo’-by，oleBill，by-by。
Thereyougo，an’thesignalo’distressroun’you，H。B。’I’minneedofassistance。’Lord，herecomesthesharks——look！look！lookatumfight！lookatumtakin’oleBill！I’minneedofassistance。Ish’dsayyouwere，oleBill。\"
Wilburlookedonceoverthesideinthechurning，lashingwater，thendrewback，sicktovomiting。Butinlessthanthirtysecondsthewaterwasquiet。Notasharkwasinsight。
\"Getovert’the’Bertha’withthosepapers，son，\"orderedKitchell;\"I’llbidehereanddigupsh’mor’loot。I’llgutthisolepill-boxfromsterntostem-post’foreI’llleave。Iwon’tleaveacopperrivetin’er，nottaco’errivet，dyhear？\"heshouted，hisfacepurplewithunnecessaryrage。
WilburreturnedtotheschoonerwiththetwoChinamen，leavingKitchellaloneonthebark。Hefoundthegirlsittingbytherudderheadalmostashehadlefther，lookingaboutherwithvague，unseeingeyes。
\"YounameisMoran，isn’tit？\"heasked。\"MoranSternersen。\"
\"Yes，\"shesaid，afterapause，thenlookedcuriouslyatabitoftarredropeonthedeck。Nothingmorecouldbegotoutofher。
Wilburtalkedtoheratlength，andtriedtomakeherunderstandthesituation，butitwasevidentshedidnotfollow。However，ateachmentionofhernameshewouldanswer：
\"Yes，yes，I’mMoran。\"
Wilburturnedawayfromher，bitinghisnetherlipinperplexity。
\"Now，whatamIgoingtodo？\"hemuttered。\"Whatasituation！IfItelltheCaptain，it’sallupwiththegirl。Ifhedidn’tkillher，he’ddoworse——mightdoboth。IfIdon’ttellhim，theregoesherbirthright，$60，000，andshealoneintheworld。It’sbeguntogoalready，\"headded，listeningtothesoundsthatcamefromthebark。Kitchellwasragingtoandfrointhecabininafrenzyofdrink，axeinhand，smashingglassware，hackingintothewood-work，singingthewhileatthetopofhisvoice：
\"AsthroughthedropIgo，dropIgo，AsthroughthedropIgo，dropIgo，AsthroughthedropIgo，Downtohellthatyawnsbelow，TwentystiffsallinarowDamnyoureyes\"
\"That’sthekindofmanIhavetodealwith，\"mutteredWilbur。
\"It’sencouraging，andthere’snoonetotalkto。NotmuchhelpinaChinamanandacrazygirlinaman’soilskins。It’saboutthebiggestsituationyoueverfaced，RossWilbur，andyou’reallalone。Whatthedevilareyougoingtodo？\"
HeacknowledgedwithconsiderablehumiliationthathecouldnotgetthebetterofKitchell，eitherphysicallyormentally。
Kitchellwasamorepowerfulmanthanhe，andcleverer。TheCaptainwasinhiselementnow，andhewasthecommander。Onshoreitwouldhavebeenvastlydifferent。Thecity-bredfellow，withapolicemanalwaysincall，wouldhaveknownhowtoact。
\"Isimplycan’tstandbyandseethathogplunderingeverythingshe’sgot。What’stobedone？\"
Andsuddenly，whilethewordswereyetinhismouth，thesunwaswipedfromtheskylikewritingfromaslate，thehorizonblackened，vanished，alongwhitelineoffrothwhippedacrosstheseaandcameonhissing。Ahollownoteboomedout，boomed，swelled，andgrewrapidlytoaroar。
Anicychillstabbedtheair。Thenthesquallswoopedandstruck，andtheskyshutdownoverthetroubledoceanlikeapot-lidoveraboilingpot。Theschooner’sforeandmainsheets，thathadnotbeenmadefast，unroveatthefirstgustandbegantoslatwildlyinthewind。TheChinamencoweredtothedecks，graspingatcleats，stays，andmasts。Theywerehelpless——paralyzedwithfear。Charlieclungtoastay，onearmoverhishead，asthoughdodgingablow。Wilburgrippedtherailwithhishandswherehestood，histeethset，hiseyeswide，waitingforthefounderingoftheschooner，hisonlythoughtbeingthattheendcouldnotbefar。Hehadheardofthesuddennessoftropicalsqualls，butthishadcomewiththeabruptnessofascene-shiftataplay。Theschoonerveeredbroad-ontothewaves。Itwasthebeginningoftheend——anotherrolltotheleewardlikethelastandthePacificwouldcomeaboard。
\"Andyoucallyourselvessailormen！Areyougoingtodrownlikeratsonaplank？\"AvoicethatWilburdidnotknowwentringingthroughthathorridshoutingofwindandsealikethecallofabugle。HeturnedtoseeMoran，thegirlofthe\"LadyLetty，\"
standingerectuponthequarterdeck，holdingdowntheschooner’swheel。Theconfusionofthatdreadfulmoment，thathadparalyzedthecrew’ssenses，hadbroughtbackhers。Shewasherselfagain，savage，splendid，dominant，superb，inherwrathattheirweakness，theircowardice。
Herheavybrowswereknottedoverherflamingeyes，herhatwasgone，andherthickbandsofyellowhairwhippedacrossherfaceandstreamedoutinthewindlikestreamersofthenorthernlights。Assheshouted，gesturingfuriouslytothemen，theloosesleeveoftheoilskincoatfellback，andshowedherforearm，strong，round，andwhiteasscud，thehandandwristsotannedastolookalmostlikeaglove。Andallthewhilesheshoutedaloud，furiouswithindignation，ragingagainstthesupinenessofthe\"Bertha’s\"crew。
\"Standby，men！standby！Lookalive，now！Makefastthestays’lhalyardstothedory’swarp！Now，then，unreevey’rhalyards！allclearthere！passtheendfor’doutsidetherigging！outside！youfools！Makefasttothebitsfor’ard——letgoy’rline——that’lldo。
Soh——soh。There，she’scomingup。\"
Thedoryhadbeentowingastern，andtheseascombingoverherhadswampedher。Moranhadbeeninspiredtousetheswampedboatasasea-anchor，fasteninghertotheschooner’sbowinsteadoftothestern。The\"Bertha’s\"bow，answeringtothedrag，veeredaround。
The\"Bertha\"stoodheadtotheseas，ridingoutthesquall。Itwasamasterpieceofseamanship，conceivedandexecutedintheverythickofperil，anditsavedtheschooner。
Buttherewaslittletimetothinkofthemselves。Onboardthebarkthesailswerestillset。Thesquallstruckthe\"LadyLetty\"
squarelyaback。Sheheeledoverupontheinstant;thenasthetophampercarriedawaywithacrash，easedbackamomentuponanevenkeel。Buthercargohadshifted。Thebarkwasdoomed。ThroughtheflyingsprayandscudandrainWilburhadamomentaryglimpseofKitchell，hackingatthelanyardswithhisaxe。Thenthe\"LadyLetty\"capsized，goingovertillhermastswereflatwiththewater，andinanothersecondrolledbottomup。Foramomentherkeelandredironbottomwerevisiblethroughthemistofdrivingspoon-drift。Suddenlytheysankfromsight。Shewasgone。
Andthen，liketherollingupofascroll，thesquallpassed，thesunreturned，theskyburnedbacktoblue，theruggednesswassmoothedfromtheocean，andthewarmthofthetropicsclosedaroundthe\"BerthaMillner，\"oncemorerollingeasilyontheswelloftheocean。
Ofthe\"LadyLetty\"andthedrunkenbeach-combingCaptainnotatraceremained。Kitchellhadgonedownwithhisprize。The\"BerthaMillner’s\"Chinesecrewhuddledforward，talkingwildly，pointingandlookinginabewilderedfashionoverthesides。
WilburandMoranwereleftaloneontheopenPacific。
V
AGirlCaptainWhenWilburcameondeckthemorningafterthesinkingofthebarkhewassurprisedtofindtheschoonerunderwayagain。WilburandCharliehadberthedforwardduringthatnight——Charliewiththehands，WilburintheCaptain’shammock。ThereasonforthischangeofquartershadbeenfoundinaperemptoryorderfromMoranduringthedog-watchtheprecedingevening。
ShehadlookedsquarelyatWilburfromunderherscowl，andhadsaidbrieflyandinafinecontraltovoice，thathehadforthefirsttimenoted：\"Iberthaft，inthecabin;youandtheChinamanforward。Understand？\"
MoranhadonlyforestalledWilbur’sintention;whileafterheralmostmiraculouspieceofseamanshipintherescueoftheschooner，CharlieandtheChinesecrewaccordedherarespectthatwasalmostsuperstitious。
Wilburmetheragainatbreakfast。Shewasstillwearingmen’sclothing——partofKitchell’soutfit——andwasbootedtotheknee;
butnowsheworenohat，andherenormousmaneofrye-coloredhairwasbraidedintolongstrandsneartothethicknessofaman’sarm。Therednessofherfacegaveastartlingeffecttoherpaleblueeyesandsandy，heavyeyebrows，thateasilyloweredtoafrown。Sheatewithherknife，andafterpushingawayherplateWilburobservedthatshedrankhalfatumblerofwhiskeyandwater。
Theconversationbetweenthetwowastameenough。Therewasnocommongrounduponwhichtheycouldmeet。Toherfather’sdeath——
nodoubtanoldmatterevenbeforeherrescue——shemadenoallusion。HerattitudetowardWilburwasoneofdefianceandsuspicion。Onlyoncedidsherelax：
\"Howdidyoucometobeaboardherewiththeserat-eaters——you’renosailor？\"shesaidabruptly。
\"Huh！\"laughedWilbur，mirthlessly;\"huh！Iwasshanghaied。\"
Moransmotethetablewitharedfist，andshoutedwithsonorous，bell-tonedlaughter。
\"Shanghaied？——you？Now，thatisreallygood。Andwhatareyougoingtodonow？\"
\"Whatareyougoingtodo？\"
\"Signalthefirsthome-boundvesselandbetakenintoFrisco。
I’vemyinsurancetocollect（Wilburhadgivenherthe’Letty’s’
papers）andthedisastertoreport。\"
\"Well，I’mnotkeenonshark-huntingmyself，\"saidWilbur。ButMoranshowednointerestinhisplans。
However，theysoonfoundthattheywerenottobepermittedtosignal。Atnoonthesamedaytheschoonersightedasteamship’ssmokeonthehorizon，andbegantoraiseherrapidly。Moranimmediatelyboundontheensign，uniondown，andbrokeitoutatthepeak。
Charlie，whowasatthewheel，spokeasentenceinChinese，andoneofthehandsdrewhisknifeacrossthehalyardsandbroughtthedistresssignaltothedeck。MoranturneduponCharliewithanoath，herbrowsknitted。
\"No！No！\"sangCharlie，closinghiseyesandwagginghishead。
\"No！Toomucheelos’time;nocanstop。Youcomedownsidecabin;
youan’one-piecebossnumbertwo（thiswasWilbur）haveumchin-
chin。\"
TheoddconclaveassembledaboutKitchell’stable——theclub-man，thehalf-masculinegirlinmen’sclothes，andtheChinaman。Theconferencewasanangryone，WilburandMoraninsistingthattheybeputaboardthesteamship，Charlierefusingwithcalmobstinacy。
\"Ihaveumchin-chinwithChinaboyslas’nigh’。Chinaboyheapflaid，nocanstopumsteamship。Heapflaidtoomuchtalkee-
talkee。Nostop;gofishnow;gofishchop-chop。Los’heaptime;
gofish。Inosavvysailumboat，Chinaboynosavvysailumboat。Itinkumyousavvy（andhepointedtoMoran）。Itinkumyousavvyplentyheapmuchdisabay。Bossnumbertwo，himnosavvysailumboat，buthimsavvyplentymanyallsame。’
\"Andwe’retostoponboardyourdough-dishandnavigateherforyou？\"shoutedMoran，herfaceblazing。
Charlienoddedblandly：\"Itinkumyass。\"
\"Andwhenwegetbacktoport，\"exclaimedWilbur，\"youthink，perhapsI——wewon’tmakeitinterestingforyou？\"
Charliesmiled。
\"ItinkumSixCompanyheaprich。\"
\"Well，getalong，\"orderedMoran，asthoughtheschoonerwasherproperty，\"andwe’lltalkitover。\"
\"Chinaboylikeyouheapprettybig，\"saidCharlietoMoran，ashewentout。\"Yousavvysailumboatalllight;wantayoufo’
captain。But，\"headded，suddenlydroppinghisblandpassivityasthoughheworeamask，andforaninstantallowingthewickedmalevolentCantonesetocometothesurface，\"Chinaboynolikeefunneebusiness，savvy？\"ThenwithasmileofaTalleyrandhedisappeared。
MoranandWilburwerehelplessforthepresent。TheywerebuttwoagainstsevenChinamen。Theymuststayonboard，ifthecoolieswishedit;andiftheyweretostayitwasamatteroftheirownpersonalsafetythatthe\"BerthaMillner\"shouldbeproperlynavigated。
\"I’llcaptainher，\"concludedMoran，sullenly，attheendoftheirtalk。\"Youmustactasmate，Mr。Wilbur。Anddon’tgetanymistakenideaintoyourheadthat，becauseI’mayounggirlandalone，youaregoingtorunthingsyourway。Idon’tlikefunnybusinessanybetterthanCharlie。\"
\"Lookhere，\"saidWilbur，complaining，\"don’tthinkI’maltogetheravillain。Ithinkyou’rearippingfinegirl。You’redifferentfromanykindofgirlIevermet，ofcourse，butyou，byjingo，you’re——you’resplendid。Thereinthesqualllastevening，whenyoustoodatthewheel，withyourhair——\"
\"Oh，dropthat！\"saidthegirl，contemptuously，andwentupondeck。Wilburfollowed，scratchinganear。
Charliewascalledaftandtheirdecisionannounced。Moranwouldnavigatethe\"BerthaMillner，\"Wilburandshetakingthewatches。
Charliepromisedthathewouldanswerfortheobedienceofthemen。
TheirfirstconcernnowwastoshapetheircourseforMagdalenaBay。MoranandWilburlookedoverKitchell’schartsandlog-book，butthegirlflungthemasidedisdainfully。
\"He’sbeensailingbythedeadreckoning，andhisnavigationisdrivel。Why，acabin-boywouldknowbetter;and，toendwith，thechronometerisrundown。I’llhavetogetGreen’ichtimebytakingthealtitudeofastarto-night，andfigureoutourlongitude。Didyoubringoffoursextant？\"
Wilburshookhishead。\"Onlythepapers，\"hesaid。
\"There’sonlyanoldebonyquadranthere，\"saidMoran，\"butitwillhavetodo。\"
Thatnight，lyingflatonherbackonthedeckwithaquadranttohereye，she\"gotastarandbroughtitdowntothehorizon，\"andsatupunderthereekinglampinthecabinnearlythewholenightcipheringandcipheringtillshehadfilledupthefoursidesofthelog-slatewithhercalculations。However，bydaylightshehadobtainedthecorrectGreenwichtimeandworkedtheschooner’slongitude。
Twodayspassed，thenathird。Moransettheschooner’scourse。
Shekeptalmostentirelytoherself，andwhennotatthewheelortakingthesunorwritingupthelog，gloomedovertheafter-railintotheschooner’swake。Wilburknewnotwhattothinkofher。
Neverinhislifehadhemetwithanygirllikethis。Soaccustomedhadshebeentotherough，give-and-take，directassociationsofaseafaringlifethatshemisinterpretedwell-
meantpoliteness——theonlyrespectheknewhowtopayher——tomeaninsidiousadvances。Shewassuspiciousofhim——distrustedhimutterly，andopenlyridiculedhisabortiveseamanship。Prettyshewasnot，butshesoonbegantohaveacertainamountofattractionforWilbur。Helikedhersplendidropesofhair，herheavycontraltovoice，herfineanimalstrengthofboneandmuscle（admittedlygreaterthanhisown）;headmiredherindomitablecourageandself-reliance，whileherpositivegeniusinthemattersofseamanshipandnavigationfilledhimwithspeechlesswonder。Thegirlshehadbeenusedtowerecleveronlyintheirknowledgeoftheamenitiesofanafternooncallortheformalitiesofapapergerman。Agirloftwo-and-twentywhocouldcalculatelongitudefromthealtitudeofastarwasoutsidehisexperience。
Themorehesawofherthemoreheknewhimselftohavebeenrightinhisfirstestimate。Shedrankwhiskeyafterhermeals，andwhenangry，whichwasoften，sworelikeabuccaneer。Asyetshewasalmost，asonemightsay，withoutsex——savage，unconquered，untamed，gloryinginherownindependence，hersullenisolation。
Herneckwasthick，strong，andverywhite，herhandsroughenedandcalloused。Inhermen’sclothesshelookedtall，vigorous，andunrestrained，andonmorethanoneoccasion，asWilburpassedclosetoher，hewasmadeawarethatherhair，herneck，herentirepersonalityexhaledafine，sweet，naturalredolencethatsavoredoftheoceanandgreatwinds。
Oneday，ashesawherhandlingahugewater-barrelbythechinesonly，withastrengthheknewtobegreaterthanhisown，herbrowscontractedwiththeeffort，herhaircurlingaboutherthickneck，herlarge，roundarmsbaretotheelbow，asuddenthrillofenthusiasmsmotethroughhim，andbetweenhisteethheexclaimedtohimself：
\"ByJove，you’reawoman！\"
The\"BerthaMillner\"continuedtothesouthward，glidingquietlyovertheoil-smoothnessoftheoceanunderairssolightashardlytorufflethesurface。Sometimesathighnoontheshimmeroftheoceanfloorblendedintotheshimmeroftheskyatthehorizon，andthenitwasnolongerwaterandblueheavens;thelittlecraftseemedtobepoisedinavastcrystallinesphere，wheretherewasneitherheightnordepth——poisedmotionlessinwarm，coruscating，opalescentspace，alonewiththesun。
Atlengthonemorningtheschooner，whichfortheprecedingtwenty-fourhourshadbeenheadingeastward，raisedtheland，andbythemiddleoftheafternoonhadcomeuptowithinamileofalow，sandyshore，quiveringwithheat，andhadtieduptothekelpinMagdalenaBay。
Charlienowtookoverentirechargeofoperations。FortwodaysprevioustheChinesehandshadbeengettingoutthedeck-tubs，tackles，gaffs，spades，andtheothershark-fishinggearthathadbeenstowedforward。Thesailswereloweredandgasketed，thedecksclearedofallimpedimenta，hogsheadsandhugevatsstoodreadyinthewaist，andthelazyindolenceofthepreviousweekwasreplacedbyanextraordinaryactivity。
Thedayaftertheirarrivalinthebaywasoccupiedbyallhandsincatchingbait。Thisbaitwasakindofrock-fish，ofabeautifulredgoldcolor，andaboutthesizeofanordinarycod。
Theybitreadilyenough，butoutofeverytenhookedthreeweretakenoffthelinesbythesharksbeforetheycouldbebroughtaboard。Anotherdifficultylayinthefactthat，eitherbecauseoftheexcessiveheatintheairorthepercentageofalkaliinthewater，theyspoiledalmostimmediatelyifleftintheair。
Turtlewereeverywhere——floatinggray-greendisksjustunderthesurface。Sea-birdsincloudsclamoredalldaylongabouttheshoreandsand-pits。Atlongintervalsflying-fishskitteredoverthewaterlikeskipping-stones。Shoalsofporpoisescameinfromoutside，leapingclumsilyalongtheedgesofthekelp。Bewilderedland-birdsperchedontheschooner’srigging，andintheearlymorningthewhistlingofquailcouldbeheardonshorenearwherealittlefresh-waterstreamrandowntomeettheocean。
ItwasWilburwhocaughtthefirstsharkonthesecondmorningofthe\"Bertha’s\"adventinMagdalenaBay。Astoreofbaithadbeenaccumulated，splitandhalvedintochunksfortheshark-hooks，andWilbur，baitingoneofthehugelinesthathadbeenbroughtupondecktheeveningbefore，flungitoverboard，andwatchedtheglimmerofthewhitefish-meatturningtoasilverygreenasitsankdownamongthekelp。Almostinstantlyalongmovingshadow，justdarkerthantheblue-greenmassofthewater，identifieditselfatalittledistance。
Enormousflukesproceededfromeitherside，anerectdorsalfin，likeanenormouscock’screst，rosefromtheback，whileimmediatelyovertheheadswamthetwopilot-fish，followingsocloselythemovementofthesharkastogivetheimpressionofactuallyadheringtohisbody。Twiceandthreetimesthegreatman-eatertwelvefeetfromsnouttotail-tip，circledslowlyaboutthebait，theflukesmovingfan-likethroughthewater。Oncehecameup，touchedthebaitwithhisnose，andbackedeasilyaway。
Hedisappeared，returned，andpoisedhimselfmotionlessintheschooner’sshadow，feelingthewaterwithhisflukes。
MoranwaslookingoverWilbur’sshoulder。\"He’sasgoodascaught，\"shemuttered;\"onceletthemgetsightofmeat，and——
Steadynow！\"Thesharkmovedforward。Suddenly，withalong，easyroll，heturnedcompletelyuponhisback。Hiswhitebellyflashedlikesilverinthewater——thebaitdisappeared。
\"You’vegothim！\"shoutedMoran。
TheropeslidthroughWilbur’spalms，burningtheskinasthehugesea-wolfsounded。Moranlaidhold。Theheavy，sullenwrenchingfrombelowtwitchedandswayedtheirbodiesandthrewthemagainsteachother。Herbare，coolarmwaspressedcloseoverhisknuckles。
\"Heave！\"shecried，laughingwiththeexcitementofthemoment。
\"Heaveall！\"——shebeganthechantofsailorshaulingattheropes。
Together，andbracingtheirfeetagainsttheschooner’srail，theyfoughtoutthefightwiththegreatfish。Inaswirloflathertheheadandshoulderscameabovethesurface，theflukeschurningthewatertillitboiledlikethewakeofascrewsteamship。Butassoonasthesegreatfinswereclearofthesurfacethesharkfellquietandhelpless。
Charliecameupwiththecutting-inspade，andasthefishhungstillovertheside，cuthimopenfromnecktobellywithasinglemovement。AnotherChinamanstoodbywithalong-handledgaff，hookedoutthepurple-blackliver，broughtitovertheside，anddroppeditintooneofthedeck-tubs。Thesharkthrashedandwrithed，hisflukesquiveringandhisgillsdistended。Wilburcouldnotrestrainanexclamation。
\"Brutalbusiness！\"hemuttered。
\"Hoh！\"exclaimedMoran，scornfully，\"cutting-inistoogoodforhim。Sailor-folkarenofriendsofsuchcarrionasthat。\"
Otherlineswerebaitedanddroppedoverboard，andthehandssettledthemselvestotherealbusinessoftheexpedition。Therewasnoskillinthematter。Thesharksbitravenously，andsoonswarmedabouttheschoonerinhundreds。HardlyahalfminutepassedthatoneofthefourChinamenthatwerefishingdidnotsignalacatch，andCharlieandJimwerekeptbusywithspadeandgaff。Bynoonthedeck-tubswerefull。Thelineswerehauledin，andthehandssetthetubsinthesuntotryouttheoil。Underthetropicalheatthesharkliversalmostvisiblymeltedaway，andbyfouro’clockintheafternoonthetubswerefullofathick，yellowoil，thereekofwhichinstantlyrecalledtoWilbur’smindtherancidsmelloftheschooneronthedaywhenhehadfirstcomeaboardofher。Thedeck-tubswereemptiedintothehogsheadsandvatsthatstoodinthewaistofthe\"Bertha，\"thetubsscoured，andthelinesandbentshark-hooksoverhauled。Charliedisappearedinthegalley，supperwascooked，andeatenupondeckundertheconflagrationofthesunset;thelightswereset，theChinamenforegatheredinthefo’c’stlehead，smokingopium，andbyeighto’clocktheroutineofthedaywasatanend。
Sothetimepassed。InashorttimeWilburcouldnothavesaidwhetherthedaywasWednesdayorSunday。Hesoontiredoftheunsportsmanlikeworkofkillingthesluggishbrutes，andturnedshorewardtorelievethemonotonyofthesucceedingdays。HeandMoranwereleftagooddealtotheirowndevices。Charliewasthemasterofthemennow。\"Mate，\"saidMorantoWilburoneday，afteradinnerofturtlesteaksandfish，eatenintheopenaironthequarterdeck;\"mate，thisisslowwork，andtheschoonersmellsterriblyfoul。We’llhavethedoryoutandgoashore。Wecantumbleacaskintoherandgetsomewater。Thebutt’sthree-
quartersempty。Let’sseehowitfeelstobeinMexico。\"
\"Mexico？\"saidWilbur。\"That’sso——LowerCaliforniaisMexico。
I’dforgottenthat！\"
Theywentashoreandspenttheafternooninfillingthewater-caskfromthefresh-waterstreamandingatheringabalones，whichMorandeclaredweredeliciouseating，fromtherocksleftbarebythetide。Butnothingcouldhaveexceededthelonelinessofthatshoreandbackland，palpitatingunderthefloggingofatropicalsun。Lowhillsofsand，coveredwithbrush，stretchedbackfromtheshore。Ontheeasternhorizon，leaguesdistant，bluemassesofmountainstriatedwithmiragesswaminthescorchingair。
Thesandwaslikefiretothetouch。Faroutinthebaytheschoonerhungmotionlessunderbaresticks，restingapparentlyuponherinvertedshadowonly。Andthatwasall——theflat，heat-
riddenland，thesheenoftheopenPacific，andthelonelyschooner。
\"Quietenough，\"saidWilbur，inalowvoice，wonderingiftherewassuchaplaceasSanFrancisco，withitspavedstreetsandcablecars，andifpeoplewhohadbeenhisfriendstherehadeverhadanyrealexistence。
\"Doyoulikeit？\"askedMoranquickly，facinghim，herthumbsinherbelt。
\"It’sgoodfun——howaboutyou？\"
\"It’snodifferentthantheonlylifeI’veknown。Isupposeyouthinkitsaqueerkindoflifeforagirl。I’velivedbydoingthings，notbythinkingthings，orreadingaboutwhatotherpeoplehavedoneorthought;andIguessit’swhatyoudothatcounts，ratherthanwhatyouthinkorreadabout。Where’sthatpinch-bar？
We’llgetacouplemoreabalonesforsupper，andthenputoff。\"
Thatwastheonlytalkofmomenttheyhadduringtheafternoon。
Alltherestoftheirconversationhadbeenofthosethingsthatimmediatelyoccupiedtheirattention。
Theyregainedtheschoonertowardfiveo’clock，tofindtheChinamenperplexedandmystified。Noexplanationwasforthcoming，andCharliegavethemsupperinpreoccupiedsilence。Astheywereeatingtheabalones，whichMoranhadfriedinbatter，Charliesaid：
\"Sharkallgone！Nomorecatchum——himallgone。\"
\"Gone——why？\"
\"Nosavvy，\"saidCharlie。\"Nolikee，nolikee。Chinaboytinkumheapfunny，toomuchheapfunny。\"
Itwastrue。Duringallthenextdaynotasharkwasinsight，andthoughthecrewfishedassiduouslytilldark，theywererewardedbynotsomuchasabite。Noonecouldofferanyexplanation。
\"’Tisstrange，\"saidMoran。\"Neverheardofsharkleavingthisfeedbefore。Andyoucanseewithhalfaneyethatthehandsdon’tlikethelooksofit。Superstitiousbeggars！theyneedtobeclumpedinthehead。\"
ThatsamenightWilburwokeinhishammockonthefo’c’stleheadabouthalf-pasttwo。Themoonwasdown，theskyonepowderofstars。Therewasnotabreathofwind。Itwassostillthathecouldhearsomelargefishplayingandbreakingofftowardtheshore。Then，withouttheleastwarning，hefelttheschoonerbegintoliftunderhim。Herolledoutofhishammockandstoodonthedeck。Therecouldbenodoubtofit——thewholeforepartwasrisingbeneathhim。Hecouldseethebowspritmovingupwardfromstartostar。Stilltheschoonerlifted;objectsondeckbegantoslideaft;theoilinthedeck-tubswashedover;then，astherecameawildscramblingoftheChinesecrewupthefo’c’stlehatch，shesettledagaingraduallyatfirst，then，withanabruptlurchthatalmostthrewhimfromhisfeet，regainedherlevel。
Moranmethiminthewaist。Charliecamerunningaft。
\"Whatwasthat？Arewegrounding？Hasshestruck？\"
\"No，no;we’restillfasttothekelp。Wasitatidalwave？\"
\"Nonsense。Itwouldn’thavehandledusthatway。\"
\"Well，whatwasit？Listen！ForGod’ssakekeepquietthereforward！\"
Wilburlookedoverthesideintothewater。Therippleswerestillchasingthemselvesawayfromtheschooner。Therewasnothingelse。Thestillnessshutdownagain。Therewasnotasound。
VI
ASEAMYSTERY
Inspiteofhisbesteffortsatself-control，Wilburfeltaslow，coldclutchathisheart。Thatsickening，uncannyliftingoftheschooneroutoftheglassywater，atatimewhentherewasnotenoughwindtosomuchaswrinklethesurface，sentacreepofsomethingverylikehorrorthroughallhisflesh。
Againhepeeredovertheside，downintothekelp-thickenedsea。
Nothing——notabreathofairwasstirring。ThegraylightthatfloodeddownfromthestarsshowednotabreakuponthesurfaceofMagdalenaBay。Onshore，nothingmoved。
\"Quietthere，forward，\"calledMorantotheshrill-voicedcoolies。
Thesucceedingstillnesswasprofound。Allonboardlistenedintently。Thewaterdrippedlikethetickingofaclockfromthe\"BerthaMillner’s\"stern，whichwiththerisingofthebowhadsunkalmosttotherail。Therewasnoothersound。
\"Strange，\"mutteredMoran，herbrowscontracting。
Charliebrokethesilencewithawail：\"Nolikee，nolikee！\"hecriedattopvoice。
Themanhadgonesuddenlygreen;Wilburcouldseetheshineofhiseyesdistendedlikethoseofaharassedcat。Ashe，Moran，andWilburstoodintheschooner’swaist，staringateachother，thesmellofpunkcametotheirnostrils。Forward，thecoolieswerealreadyburningjoss-sticksonthefo’castlehead，kowtowingtheirforeheadstothedeck。
Moranwentforwardandkickedthemtotheirfeetandhurledtheirjoss-sticksintothesea。
\"Fengshui！Fengshui！\"theyexclaimedwithbatedbreaths。\"TheFengshuinolikeewe。\"
Lowintheeastthehorizonbegantoblackenagainstthesky。Itwasearlymorning。Awatchwasset，theChinamensentbelow，anduntildaybreak，whenCharliebegantomakeaclatteringoftinsinthegalleyashesetaboutpreparingbreakfast，Wilburpacedtheroundsoftheschooner，looking，listening，andwaitingagainforthatslow，horrifyinglift。Buttherestofthenightwaswithoutincident。
Afterbreakfast，thestrangelyassortedtrio——Charlie，Moran，andWilbur——heldanotherconferenceinthecabin。Itwasdecidedtomovetheschoonertotheothersideofthebay。
\"Fengshuiindisaplace，nolikeewe，\"announcedCharlie。
\"Fengshui，whoarethey？\"
Charliepromptlybecameincoherentonthissubject，andMoranandWilburcouldonlyguessthattheFengshuiwerethetutelarydeitiesthatpresidedoverthatportionofMagdalenaBay。Atanyrate，therewereevidentlynomoresharktobecaughtinthatfishing-ground;sosailwasmade，andbynoonthe\"BerthaMillner\"
tieduptothekelpontheoppositesideoftheinlet，abouthalfamilefromtheshore。
Thesharkwereplentifulhereandthefishingwentforwardagainasbefore。Certainofthesesharkwerehauledaboard，stunnedbyablowonthenose，andtheirfinscutoff。TheChinamenpackedthesefinsawayinseparatekegs。EventuallytheywouldbesenttoChina。
Twoorthreedayspassed。Thehandskeptsteadilyattheirwork。
Nothingmoreoccurredtodisturbthemonotonyofthescorchingdaysandsoundlessnights;theschoonersataseasilyontheunbrokenwaterasthoughbuilttothebottom。Soonthenightwatchwasdiscontinued。Duringthesedaysthethreeofficerslivedhigh。Turtlewereplentiful，andwhatwiththeirsteaksandsoups，thefriedabalones，thesea-fish，thereallydeliciousshark-fins，andthequailthatCharlieandWilburtrappedalongtheshore，thetriohadnothingtowishforinthewayoftableluxuries。
Theshorewasabsolutelydeserted，aswellasthebackcountry——anunbrokenwildernessofsandandsage。Halfadozentimes，Wilbur，wearyingofhisinactionaboardtheschooner，madetheentirecircuitofthebayfrompointtopoint。Standingononeofthelatterprojectionsandlookingouttothewest，thePacificappearedasemptyoflifeastheland。Neverakeelcutthosewaters，neverasailbroketheedgeofthehorizon，neverafeatherofsmokespottedtheskywhereitwhitenedtomeetthesea。Everythingwasempty——vast，unspeakablydesolate——
palpitatingwithheat。
Anotherweekpassed。Charliebegantocomplainthatthesharkweregrowingscarceagain。
\"Ithinkbime-byhimgoaway，onceamo’。\"
Thatsamenight，Wilbur，lyinginhishammock，wasawakenedbyatouchonhisarm。HewoketoseeMoranbesidehimonthedeck。
\"Didyouhearanything？\"shesaidinalowvoice，lookingathimunderherscowl。
\"No！no！\"heexclaimed，gettingup，reachingforhiswickersandals。\"Didyou？\"
\"Ithoughtso——something。Didyoufeelanything？\"
\"I’vebeenasleep，Ihaven’tnoticedanything。Isitbeginningagain？\"
\"Theschoonerliftedagain，justnow，verygently。IhappenedtobeawakeorIwouldn’thavenoticedit。\"Theyweretalkinginlowvoices，asisthecustomofpeoplespeakinginthedark。
\"There，what’sthat？\"exclaimedWilburunderhisbreath。Agentlevibration，barelyperceptible，thrilledthroughtheschooner。
Underhishand，thatwasclaspedupontherail，Wilburcouldfeelafainttremblinginherframe。Itstopped，beganagain，anddiedslowlyaway。
\"Well，whatthedevilISit？\"hemutteredimpatiently，tryingtomasterthereturningcreepofdread。
Moranshookherhead，bitingherlip。
\"It’sbeyondme，\"shesaid，frowning。\"Canyouseeanything？\"Thesky，sea，andlandwereunbrokenreachesofsolitude。Therewasnobreathofwind。
\"Listen，\"saidMoran。Farofftolandwardcamethefaint，sleepycluckingofaquail，andthestridulatingofunnumberedcrickets;
alongripplelickedtheslopeofthebeachandslidbackintotheocean。Wilburshookhishead。
\"Don’thearanything，\"hewhispered。\"Sh——there——she’stremblingagain。\"
Oncemoreaprolongedbutfaintquiveringranthroughthe\"BerthaMillner\"fromstemtostern，andfromkeeltomasthead。Therewasabarelyaudiblecreakingofjointsandpanels。Theoilinthedeck-tubstrembled。ThevibrationwassofineandrapidthatittickledthesolesofWilbur’sfeetashestoodonthedeck。
\"I’dgivetwofingerstoknowwhatitallmeans，\"murmuredMoraninalowvoice。\"I’vebeentoseafor——\"Thensuddenlyshecriedaloud：\"Steadyall，she’sliftingagain！\"
Theschoonerheavedslowlyunderthem，thistimebythestern。Upshewent，upandup，whileWilburgrippedatastaytokeephisplace，andtriedtochokedownhisheart，thatseemedtobeatagainsthispalate。
\"God！\"ejaculatedMoran，hereyesblazing。\"Thisthingis——\"The\"Bertha\"camesuddenlydowntoaneasykeel，rockinginthatglassyseaasifinatiderip。Thedeckwasawashwithoil。Faroutinthebaytherippleswideningfromtheschoonerblurredthereflectionsofthestars。TheChinamenswarmedupthehatch-way，volubleandshrill。Againthe\"BerthaMillner\"liftedandsank，thetubsslidingonthedeck，themastsquiveringlikereeds，thetimbersgroaningaloudwiththestrain。Inthesternsomethingcrackedandsmashed。Thenthetroublediedaway，theripplesfadedintotheocean，andtheschoonersettledtoherkeel，quitemotionless。
\"Look，\"saidMoran，herfacetowardthe\"Bertha’s\"stern。\"Therudderisoutofthegudgeons。\"Itwastrue——the\"BerthaMillner’s\"helmwasunshipped。
Therewasnomoresleepforanyoneonboardthatnight。Wilburtrampedthequarterdeck，sickwithafeelinghedarednotputanameto。Moransatbythewreckedrudder-head，auselesspistolinherhand，swearingunderherbreathfromtimetotime。Charlieappearedonthequarterdeckatintervals，lookedatWilburandMoranwithwide-openeyes，andthentookhimselfaway。Ontheforwarddeckthecooliespastedstripsofredpaperinscribedwithmottoesuponthemast，andfilledtheairwiththereekoftheirjoss-sticks。
\"IfonecouldonlySEEwhatitwas，\"growledMoranbetweenherclinchedteeth。\"Butthis——thisdamnedheavingandtrembling，it——
it’squeer。\"
\"That’sit，that’sit，\"saidWilburquickly，facingher。\"Whatarewegoingtodo，Moran？\"
\"STICKITOUT！\"sheexclaimed，strikingherkneewithherfist。
\"Wecan’tleavetheschooner——IWON’Tleaveher。I’llstaybythisdough-dishaslongastwoplanksinherholdtogether。Wereyouthinkingofcuttingaway？\"Shefixedhimwithherfrown。
Wilburlookedather，sittingerectbythedisabledrudder，herheadbare，herbraidsofyellowhairhangingoverherbreast，sittingthereinman’sclothesandman’sboots，thepistolatherside。Heshookhishead。
\"I’mnotleavingthe’Bertha’tillyoudo，\"heanswered;adding：
\"I’llstandbyyou，mate，untilwe——\"
\"Feelthat？\"saidMoran，holdingupahand。
Afine，quiveringtremblewasthrillingthrougheverybeamoftheschooner，vibratingeachropelikeaharp-string。Itpassedaway;
butbeforeeitherWilburorMorancouldcommentuponitrecommenced，thistimemuchmoreperceptibly。Charliedashedaft，hisqueueflying。
\"W’atmakumheapshake？\"heshouted;\"w’atforhimshake？Nosavvy，nolikee，prettymuchheapflaid;aie-yah，aie-yah！\"
Slowlytheschoonerheavedupasthoughuponthecrestofsomehugewave，slowlyitsettled，andagaingraduallyliftedtillWilburhadtocatchattherailtosteadyhisfooting。Thequiveringsensationincreasedsothattheirveryteethchatteredwithit。Belowinthecabintheycouldhearsmallobjectsfallingfromtheshelvesandtable。Thenwithasuddendropthe\"Bertha\"
fellbacktoherkeelagain，thespilledoilspoutingfromherscuppers，themastsrocking，thewaterchurningandsplashingfromhersides。
Andthatwasall。Therewasnosound——nothingwasinsight。
Therewasonlythefrightenedtremblingofthelittleschoonerandthatlong，slowheaveandlift。
Morningcame，andbreakfastwashadinsilenceandgrimperplexity。Itwastoolatetothinkofgettingaway，nowthattherudderwasdisabled。The\"BerthaMillner\"mustbidewhereshewas。
\"Andalittlemoreofthisdancing，\"exclaimedMoran，\"andwe’llhavetheplanksspringingoffthestern-post。\"
Charlienoddedsolemnly。Hesaidnothing——hisgravityhadreturned。Nowintheglareofthetropicalday，withthe\"BerthaMillner\"sittingtheseaasplacidlyasabroodinggull，hewasTalleyrandagain。
\"Itinkumyas，\"hesaidvaguely。
\"Well，IthinkwehadbettertryandfixtherudderandputbacktoFrisco，\"saidMoran。\"You’remakingnomoneythisway。Therearenosharktobecaught。SOMETHING’Swrong。They’regoneawaysomewhere。Thecrewareeatingtheirheadsoffandnotearningenoughmoneytopayfortheirkeep。Whatdoyouthink？\"
\"Itinkumyas。\"
\"Thenwe’llgohome。Isthatit？\"
\"Itinkumyas——to-molla。\"
\"To-morrow？\"
\"Yas。\"
\"That’ssettledthen，\"persistedMoran，surprisedathisreadyacquiescence;\"westarthometo-morrow？\"Charlienodded。
\"To-molla，\"hesaid。
Therudderwasnotsobadlydamagedastheyhadatfirstsupposed;
thebreakwaseasilymended，butitwasfoundnecessaryforoneofthementogoovertheside。
\"Getoverthesidehere，Jim，\"commandedMoran。\"Charlie，tellhimwhat’swanted;wecan’tworkthepintleinfromthedeck。\"
ButCharlieshookhishead。
\"Himnolikeego;himplentymuchflaid。\"
Moranrippedoutanoath。
\"WhatdoIcareifhe’safraid！Iwanthimtoshovethepintleintothelowergudgeon。MyGod，\"sheexclaimed，withimmensecontempt，\"whatcarrion！I’dsoonerworkaboatwithshe-monkeys。
Mr。Wilbur，Ishallhavetoaskyoutogoover。IthoughtIwascaptainhere，butitalldependsonwhethertheseratsareafraidornot。\"
\"Plentymanyshark，\"expostulatedCharlie。\"Himflaidsharkcomeback，catchumchop-chop。\"
\"Standbyherewithacoupleofcutting-inspades，\"criedMoran，\"andfendoffifyouseeanyshark;now，then，areyouready，mate？\"
Wilburtookhisdeterminationinbothhands，threwoffhiscoatandsandals，andwentoverthesternrail。
\"Putyoureartothewater，\"calledMoranfromabove;\"sometimesyoucanheartheirflukes。\"
Ittookbutaminutetoadjustthepintle，andWilburregainedthedeckagain，drippingandalittlepale。Heknewnotwhathorridformofdeathmighthavebeenlurkingforhimdownbelowthereunderneaththekelp。AshestartedforwardfordryclotheshewassurprisedtoobservethatMoranwassmilingathim，holdingoutherhand。
\"Thatwaswelldone，\"shesaid，\"andthankyou。I’veseenoldersailor-menthanyouwhowouldn’thavetakentherisk。\"Neverbeforehadsheappearedmoresplendidinhiseyesthanatthismoment。Afterchanginghisclothesinthefo’castle，hesatforalongtime，hischininhishands，verythoughtful。Thenatlength，asthoughvoicingtheconclusionofhisreflections，saidaloud，asherosetohisfeet：
\"But，ofcourse，THATisoutofthequestion。\"
Herememberedthattheyweregoinghomeonthenextday。WithinafortnighthewouldbeinSanFranciscoagain——ataxpayer，apolice-protectedcitizenoncemore。Ithadbeengoodfun，afterall，thisthreeweeks’lifeonthe\"BerthaMillner，\"astrangeepisodecutoutfromthenormalcircleofhisconventionallife。
Heranovertheincidentsofthecruise——Kitchell，theturtlehunt，thefindingofthederelict，thedeadcaptain，thesquall，andtheawfulsightofthesinkingbark，Moranatthewheel，thegrewsomebusinessoftheshark-fishing，andlastofallthatinexplicableliftingandquiveringoftheschooner。Hetoldhimselfthatnowhewouldprobablyneverknowtheexplanationofthatmystery。
Thedaypassedinpreparationstoputtoseaagain。Thedeck-tubsandhogsheadswerestowedbelowandthetackleclearedaway。Byeveningallwasready;theywouldbeunderwaybydaybreakthenextmorning。Therewasapossibilityoftheirbeingforcedtotowtheschooneroutbymeansofthedory，solightweretheairsinside。Oncebeyondtheheads，however，theyweresureofabreeze。
Aboutteno’clockthatnight，thesameuncannytremblingranthroughtheschooneragain，andabouthalfanhourlatersheliftedgentlyonceortwice。Butafterthatshewasundisturbed。
Lateroninthenight——orratherearlyinthemorning——Wilburwokesuddenlyinhishammockwithoutknowingwhy，andgotupandstoodlistening。The\"BerthaMillner\"wasabsolutelyquiet。Thenightwashotandstill;thenewmoon，cantedoverlikeasinkinggalleon，waslowoverthehorizon。Wilburlistenedintently，fornowatlastheheardsomething。
Betweentheschoonerandtheshoreagentlesoundofsplashingcametohisears，andanoccasionalcrackasofoarsintheirlocks。Wasitpossiblethataboatwastherebetweentheschoonerandtheland？Whatboat，andmannedbywhom？
Thecreakingofoarlocksandthedipofpaddleswasunmistakable。
SuddenlyWilburraisedhisvoiceinagreatshout：
\"Boatahoy！\"
Therewasnoanswer;thenoiseofoarsgrewfainter。Morancamerunningoutofhercabin，swingingintohercoatassheran。
\"Whatisit——whatisit？\"
\"Aboat，Ithink，rightofftheschoonerhere。Hark——there——didyouheartheoars？\"
\"You’reright;callthehands，getthedoryover，we’llfollowthatboatrightup。Hello，forwardthere，Charlie，allhands，tumbleout！\"
ThenWilburandMorancaughtthemselveslookingintoeachother’seyes。Atoncesomething——perhapsthelatentsilenceoftheschooner——toldthemtherewastobenoanswer。Thetworanfor-
ward：Moranswungherselfintothefo’castlehatch，andwithoutusingtheladderdroppedtothedeckbelow。Inaninstanthervoicecameupthehatch：
\"Thebunksareempty——they’regone——abandonedus。\"Shecameuptheladderagain。
\"Look，\"saidWilbur，assheregainedthedeck。\"Thedory’sgone;
they’vetakenit。Itwasouronlyboat;wecan’tgetashore。\"
\"Cowardly，superstitiousrats，Ishouldhaveexpectedthis。Theywouldbechoppedinbitsbeforetheywouldstaylongeronboardthisboat——theyandtheir-Fengshui。\"
Whenmorningcamethedeserterscouldbemadeoutcampedontheshore，neartothebeacheddory。Whattheirintentionswerecouldnotbeconjectured。RiddenwithallmannerofnamelessOrientalsuperstitions，itwasevidentthattheChinamenpreferredanyhazardoffortunetoremaininglongerupontheschooner。
\"Well，canwegetalongwithoutthem？\"saidWilbur。\"Canwetwoworktheschoonerbacktoportourselves？\"
\"We’lltryiton，anyhow，mate，\"saidMoran;\"wemightgetherintoSanDiego，anyhow。\"
TheChinamenhadleftplentyofprovisionsonboard，andMorancookedbreakfast。Fortunately，byeighto’clockaverylightwesterlybreezecameup。MoranandWilburcastoffthegasketsandsettheforeandmainsails。
Wilburwasbusyattheforwardbittspreparingtocastloosefromthekelp，andMoranhadtakenupherpositionatthewheelwhensuddenlysheexclaimed：
\"Sailho！——andinGod’snamewhatkindofasaildoyoucallit？\"
Infactastrange-lookingcrafthadjustmadeherappearanceattheentranceofMagdalenaBay。
VII
BEACH-COMBERS
WilburreturnedaftandjoinedMoranonthequarterdeck。Shewasalreadystudyingthestrangerthroughtheglass。
\"That’sanewbuildofboattome，\"shemuttered，givingWilburtheglass。Wilburlookedlongandcarefully。Thenewcomerwasofthesizeandmuchthesameshapeasacaravelofthefifteenthcentury——highastobowandstern，andtoallappearancesasseaworthyasasoup-tureen。NeverbutintheoldprintshadWilburseensuchanextraordinaryboat。Shecarriedasinglemast，whichlistedforward;herlugsailwasstretchedupondozensofbambooyards;shedrewhardlyanywater。Twoenormousredeyeswerepainteduponeithersideofherhigh，bluntbow，whilejustabaftthewaistprojectedanenormousoar，orsweep，fullfortyfeetinlength——longer，infact，thanthevesselherself。Itactedpartlyasapropeller，partlyasarudder。
\"They’reheadingforus，\"commentedWilburasMorantooktheglassagain。
\"Right，\"sheanswered;addinguponthemoment：\"Huh！moreChinamen;thethingisalivewithcoolies;she’sajunk。\"
\"Oh！\"exclaimedWilbur，recollectingsometalkofCharlie’shehadoverheard。\"Iknow。\"
\"Youknow？\"
\"Yes;thesearerealbeach-combers。I’veheardofthemalongthiscoast——heardourChinamenspeakofthem。Theybeachthatjunkeverynightandcamponshore。They’rescavengers，asyoumightsay——pickupwhattheycanfindorplunderalongshore——abalones，shark-fins，pickingsofwrecks，oldbrassandcopper，sealsperhaps，turtleandshell。Betweenwhilestheyfishforshrimp，andI’veheardKitchelltellhowtheymakepearlsbydroppingbird-shotintooysters。TheyareKai-ginghtoaman，and，accordingtoKitchell，thewickedestbreedofcatsthatevercutteeth。\"
Thejunkboreslowlydownupontheschooner。Inafewmomentsshehadhovetoalongside。Butfortheenormousredeyesuponherbowshewasinnocentofpaint。Shewasgrimedandshellackedwithdirtandgrease，andsmelledabominably。HercrewwereChinamen;
butsuchChinamen！Thecooliesofthe\"BerthaMillner\"werepamperedandeffeteincomparison。Thebeach-combers，thirteeninnumber，wereasmallerclassofmen，theirfacesalmostblackwithtananddirt。Thoughtheystillworethequeue，theirheadswerenotshaven，andmatsandmopsofstiffblackhairfellovertheireyesfromundertheirbroad，basket-shapedhats。
Theywerebarefoot。Noneofthemworemorethantwogarments——thejeansandtheblouse。TheywerethelowesttypeofmenWilburhadeverseen。Thefaceswerethoseofahigherorderofanthropoidapes：thelowerportion——jaws，lips，andteeth——salient;thenostrilsopeningatalmostrightangles，theeyestinyandbright，theforeheadseamedandwrinkled——unnaturallyold。Theirgeneralexpressionwasofsimiancunningandaferocitythatwasutterlydevoidofcourage。
\"Aye！\"exclaimedMoranbetweenherteeth，\"ifthedevilwereashepherd，herearehissheep。Youdon’tcomeaboardthisschooner，myfriends！IwanttoliveaslongasIcan，anddiewhenIcan’thelpit。Boatahoy！\"shecalled。
AnanswerinCantonesesing-songcamebackfromthejunk，andthespeakergesturedtowardtheoutsideocean。
Thenalongparleyingbegan。ForupwardofhalfanhourMoranandWilburlistenedtoapropositioninbrokenpigeonEnglishmadebythebeach-combersagainandagainandyetagain，andwereinnowayenlightened。Itwasimpossibletounderstand。Thenatlasttheymadeoutthattherewasquestionofawhale。Nextitappearedthewhalewasdead;andfinally，afteraprolongedpantomimeofgesturingandpointing，Moranguessedthatthebeach-
comberswantedtheuseofthe\"BerthaMillner\"totriceupthedeadleviathanwhiletheoilandwhalebonewereextracted。
\"Thatmustbeit，\"shesaidtoWilbur。\"That’swhattheymeanbypointingtoourmastsandtackle。Yousee，theycouldn’tmanagewiththatstickoftheirs，andtheysaythey’llgiveusathirdoftheloot。We’lldoit，mate，andI’lltellyouwhy。Thewindhasfallen，andtheycantowusout。Ifit’sasperm-whalethey’vefound，thereoughttobethirtyorfortybarrelsofoilinhim，letalonetheblubberandbone。Oilisat$50now，andspermacetiwillalwaysbring$100。We’lltakeiton，mate。butwe’llkeepoureyesontheratsallthetime。Idon’twantthemaboardatall。Lookattheirbelts。Notthreeoutofthedozenwhoaren’tcarryingthosefilthylittlehatchets。Faugh！\"sheexclaimed，withashudderofdisgust。\"Suchvipers！\"
WhatfollowedprovedthatMoranhadguessedcorrectly。Aropewaspassedtothe\"BerthaMillner，\"thejunkputoutitssweeps，andtoawailing，eldrichchantingtheschoonerwastowedoutofthebay。
\"IwonderwhatCharlieandourChinaboyswillthinkofthis？\"
saidWilbur，lookingshoreward，wherethedeserterscouldbeseengatheredtogetherinasilent，observinggroup。
\"We’rewellshutofthem，\"growledMoran，herthumbsinherbelt。
\"Only，nowwe’llneverknowwhatwasthematterwiththeschoonertheselastfewnights。Hah！\"sheexclaimedunderherbreath，herscowlthickening，\"sometimesIdon’twonderthebeastscut。\"
ThedeadwhalewaslyingfourmilesoutoftheentranceofMagdalenaBay，andasthejunkandtheschoonerdrewnearseemedlikeahugeblackboatfloatingbottomup。Overitanduponitswarmedandclamberedthousandsofsea-birds，whileallaroundandbelowthewaterwasthickwithgorgingsharks。Adreadful，stranglingdecayfouledalltheair。
Thewhalewasasperm-whale，andfullytwicethelengthofthe\"BerthaMillner。\"Theworkoftricinghimupoccupiedthebeach-
combersthroughouttheentireday。Itwasoutofthequestiontokeepthemofftheschooner，andWilburandMoranweretoowisetotry。Theyswarmedtheforwarddeckandrigginglikeaplagueofuncleanmonkeys，climbingwithanagilityandnimblenessthatmadeWilbursicktohisstomach。TheywereunlikeanyChinamenhehadeverseen——hideoustoadegreethathehadimaginedimpossibleinahumanbeing。Ontwooccasionsafightdeveloped，andinaninstantthelittlehatchetswereflashingliketheflashofasnake’sfangs。Towardtheendofthedayoneofthemreturnedtothejunk，screaminglikeastuckpig，abitofhischinbittenoff。
MoranandWilburkepttothequarter-deck，alwayswithinreachofthehugecutting-inspades，buttheChinesebeach-combersweretooelatedovertheirprizetopaythemmuchattention。
Andindeedthedeadmonsterprovedaveritabletreasure-trove。Bytheendofthedayhehadbeentriceduptotheforemast，andallhandsstrainingatthewindlasshadraisedthemightyheadoutofthewater。TheChinamendescendeduponthesmooth，blackbody，theirbarefeetslidingandslippingateverystep。Theyheldonbyjabbingtheirknivesintothehideasglacier-climbersdotheirice-picks。Theheadyieldedbarrelafterbarrelofoilandafairquantityofbone。Theblubberwastakenaboardthejunk，mincedupwithhatchets，andrunintocasks。
Lastofall，aChinamancutaholethroughthe\"case，\"and，actuallydescendingintotheinsideofthehead，strippedawaythespermaceti（clearascrystal），andpackeditintobuckets，whichwerehauleduponthejunk’sdeck。Theworkoccupiedsometwoorthreedays。Duringthistimethe\"BerthaMillner\"waskeeledovertonearlytwentydegreesbytheweightofthedeadmonster。
However，neitherWilburnorMoranmadeprotest。TheChinamenwoulddoastheypleased;thatwassaidandsigned。Andtheydidnotreleasetheschooneruntilthewhalehadbeenemptiedofoilandblubber，spermacetiandbone。
Atlength，ontheafternoonofthethirdday，thecaptainofthejunk，whosenamewasHoang，presentedhimselfuponthequarter-
deck。Hewasnakedtothewaist，andhisbarebrowntorsowasgleamingwithoilandsweat。Hisqueuewascoiledlikeasnakearoundhisneck，hishatchetthrustintohisbelt。
\"Well？\"saidMoran，comingup。
Wilburcaughthisbreathasthetwostoodtherefacingeachother，sosharpwasthecontrast。Theman，theMongolian，small，weazened，leather-colored，secretive——astrange，complexcreature，steepedinalltheobscuremysteryoftheEast，nervous，illatease;andthegirl，theAnglo-Saxon，daughteroftheNorthmen，huge，blond，big-boned，frank，outspoken，simpleofcomposition，openastheday，bareheaded，hergreatropesofsandyhairfallingoverherbreastandalmosttothetopofherknee-boots。Ashelookedatthetwo，WilburaskedhimselfwhereelsebutinCaliforniacouldsuchabruptcontrastsoccur。
\"Alllight，\"announcedHoang;\"catchumalloil，catchumallbone，catchumallsameplentymany。Youhelpcatchum，nowyoucatchumpay。Sabe？\"
Thethreeprincipalscametoasettlementwithunprecedenteddirectness。LikeallChinamen，Hoangwastruetohispromises，andhehadalreadysetapartthreeandahalfbarrelsofspermaceti，tenbarrelsofoil，andsometwentypoundsofboneastheschooner’sshareinthetransaction。Therewasnodiscussionoverthematter。Hecalledtheirattentiontothedischargeofhisobligations，andhurriedawaytosummonhismenaboardandgetthejunkunderwayagain。
Thebeach-combersreturnedtotheirjunk，andWilburandMoransetaboutcuttingthecarcassofthewhaleadrift。Theyfounditwouldbeeasiertocutawaythehidefromaroundthehooksandloopsofthetacklethantounfastenthetackleitself。
\"Theknotsarejammedhardassteel，\"declaredMoran。\"Handupthatcutting-inspade;standbywiththeotherandcutlooseatthesametimeasIdo，sowecaneaseoffthestrainontheselinesatthesametime。Readythere，cut！\"Moransetfreethehookintheloopofblackskininacoupleofstrokes，butWilburwasmoreclumsy;theskinresisted。Hestruckatitsharplywiththeheavyspade;thebladehittheironhook，glancedoff，andopenedalargeslitinthecarcassbelowthehead。Agushofentrailsstartedfromtheslit，andMoransworeunderherbreath。
\"Easeaway，quickthere！You’llhavethemastoutofhernext——
steady！Holdyourspade——what’sthat？\"
Wilburhadnervedhimselfagainstthedreadfulstenchheexpectedwouldissuefromtheputridmonster，buthewassurprisedtonoteapungent，sweet，andspicyodorthatallatoncemadethicktheairabouthim。Itwasanaromaticsmell，strongerthanthatofthesaltocean，strongereventhanthereekofoilandblubberfromtheschooner’swaist——sweetasincense，penetratingasattar，deliciousasasummerbreeze。
\"Itsmellsprettygood，whateveritis，\"heanswered。Morancameuptowherehestood，andlookedattheslithehadmadeinthewhale’scarcass。Outofitwasbulgingsomekindofdullwhitemattermarbledwithgray。Itwasahardlumpofirregularshapeandaboutasbigasahogshead。
Moranglancedovertothejunk，somefortyfeetdistant。Thebeach-comberswerehoistingthelug-sail。Hoangwasatthesteeringoar。
\"Getthatstuffaboard，\"shecommandedquietly。
\"That！\"exclaimedWilbur，pointingtothelump。
Moran’sblueeyeswerebeginningtogleam。