第2章

"Isentwordofittotheofficers’quartersintheSailors’

Home，"hecontinued，whilethelimpinhisgaitseemedtogrowmoreaccentuatedwiththeincreasingirritationofhisvoice."Place’sfullofthem.Twiceasmanymenasthereareberthsgoinginthelocaltrade.Allhungryforaneasyjob.Twiceasmany——and——Whatd’youthink，Whalley？"

Hestoppedshort;hishandsclenchedandthrustdeeplydownwards，seemedreadytoburstthepocketsofhisjacket.AslightsighescapedCaptainWhalley.

"Hey？Youwouldthinktheywouldbefallingovereachother.Notabitofit.Frightenedtogohome.

Niceandwarmoutheretolieaboutaverandawaitingforajob.Isitandwaitinmyoffice.Nobody.Whatdidtheysuppose？ThatIwasgoingtosittherelikeadummywiththeConsul—General’scablebeforeme？

Notlikely.SoIlookedupalistofthemIkeepbymeandsentwordforHamilton——theworstloaferofthemall——andjustmadehimgo.Threatenedtoin—

structthestewardoftheSailors’Hometohavehimturnedoutneckandcrop.Hedidnotthinktheberthwasgoodenough——if——you——please.’I’veyourlittlerecordsbyme，’saidI.’Youcameashorehereeighteenmonthsago，andyouhaven’tdonesixmonths’worksince.YouareindebtforyourboardnowattheHome，andIsupposeyoureckontheMarineOfficewillpayintheend.Eh？Soitshall;butifyoudon’ttakethischance，awayyougotoEngland，assistedpassage，bythefirsthomewardsteamerthatcomesalong.Youarenobetterthanapauper.Wedon’twantanywhitepaupershere.’Iscaredhim.Butlookatthetroubleallthisgaveme."

"Youwouldnothavehadanytrouble，"CaptainWhal—

leysaidalmostinvoluntarily，"ifyouhadsentforme."

CaptainEliottwasimmenselyamused;heshookwithlaughterashewalked.Butsuddenlyhestoppedlaugh—

ing.Avaguerecollectionhadcrossedhismind.Hadn’thehearditsaidatthetimeoftheTravancoreandDeccansmashthatpoorWhalleyhadbeencleanedoutcom—

pletely."Fellow’shardup，byheavens！"hethought;

andatoncehecastasidelongupwardglanceathiscompanion.ButCaptainWhalleywassmilingausterelystraightbeforehim，withacarriageoftheheadincon—

ceivableinapennilessman——andhebecamereassured.

Impossible.Couldnothavelosteverything.Thatshiphadbeenonlyahobbyofhis.Andthereflectionthatamanwhohadconfessedtoreceivingthatverymorningapresumablylargesumofmoneywasnotlikelytospringuponhimademandforasmallloanputhimentirelyathiseaseagain.Therehadcomealongpauseintheirtalk，however，andnotknowinghowtobeginagain，hegrowledoutsoberly，"Weoldfellowsoughttotakearestnow."

"Thebestthingforsomeofuswouldbetodieattheoar，"CaptainWhalleysaidnegligently.

"Come，now.Aren’tyouabittiredbythistimeofthewholeshow？"mutteredtheothersullenly.

"Areyou？"

CaptainEliottwas.Infernallytired.Heonlyhungontohisberthsolonginordertogethispensiononthehighestscalebeforehewenthome.Itwouldbenobetterthanpoverty，anyhow;still，itwastheonlythingbe—

tweenhimandtheworkhouse.Andhehadafamily.

Threegirls，asWhalleyknew.Hegave"Harry，oldboy，"tounderstandthatthesethreegirlswereasourceofthegreatestanxietyandworrytohim.Enoughtodriveamandistracted.

"Why？Whathavetheybeendoingnow？"askedCaptainWhalleywithasortofamusedabsent—minded—

ness.

"Doing！Doingnothing.That’sjustit.Lawn—

tennisandsillynovelsfrommorningtonight"

Ifoneofthematleasthadbeenaboy.Butallthree！

And，asill—luckwouldhaveit，theredidnotseemtobeanydecentyoungfellowsleftintheworld.Whenhelookedaroundintheclubhesawonlyalotofconceitedpopinjaystooselfishtothinkofmakingagoodwomanhappy.Extremeindigencestaredhiminthefacewithallthatcrowdtokeepathome.Hehadcherishedtheideaofbuildinghimselfalittlehouseinthecountry——

inSurrey——toendhisdaysin，buthewasafraiditwasoutofthequestion，andhisstaringeyesrolledupwardswithsuchapatheticanxietythatCaptainWhal—

leycharitablynoddeddownathim，restrainingasortofsickeningdesiretolaugh.

"Youmustknowwhatitisyourself，Harry.Girlsaretheverydevilforworryandanxiety."

"Ay！Butmineisdoingwell，"CaptainWhalleypro—

nouncedslowly，staringtotheendoftheavenue.

TheMaster—Attendantwasgladtohearthis.Uncom—

monlyglad.Herememberedherwell.Aprettygirlshewas.

CaptainWhalley，steppingoutcarelessly，assentedasifinadream.

"Shewaspretty."

Theprocessionofcarriageswasbreakingup.

Oneafteranothertheyleftthefiletogooffatatrot，animatingthevastavenuewiththeirscatteredlifeandmovement;butsoontheaspectofdignifiedsolitudere—

turnedandtookpossessionofthestraightwideroad.

AsyceinwhitestoodattheheadofaBurmahponyhar—

nessedtoavarnishedtwo—wheelcart;andthewholethingwaitingbythecurbseemednobiggerthanachild’stoyforgottenunderthesoaringtrees.CaptainEliottwaddleduptoitandmadeasiftoclamberin，butre—

frained;andkeepingonehandrestingeasilyontheshaft，hechangedtheconversationfromhispension，hisdaughters，andhispovertybackagaintotheonlyothertopicintheworld——theMarineOffice，themenandtheshipsoftheport.

Heproceededtogiveinstancesofwhatwasexpectedofhim;andhisthickvoicedrowsedinthestillairliketheobstinatedroningofanenormousbumble—bee.Cap—

tainWhalleydidnotknowwhatwastheforceortheweaknessthatpreventedhimfromsayinggood—nightandwalkingaway.Itwasasthoughhehadbeentootiredtomaketheeffort.Howqueer.MorequeerthananyofNed’sinstances.Orwasitthatoverpoweringsenseofidlenessalonethatmadehimstandthereandlistentothesestories.NothingveryrealhadevertroubledNedEliott;andgraduallyheseemedtodetectdeepin，asifwrappedupinthegrosswheezyrumble，somethingoftheclearheartyvoiceoftheyoungcaptainoftheRingdove.Hewonderedifhetoohadchangedtothesameextent;anditseemedtohimthatthevoiceofhisoldchumhadnotchangedsoverymuch——thatthemanwasthesame.Notabadfellowthepleasant，jollyNedEliott，friendly，welluptohisbusiness——andalwaysabitofahumbug.Herememberedhowheusedtoamusehispoorwife.Shecouldreadhimlikeanopenbook.WhentheCondorandtheRingdovehappenedtobeinporttogether，shewouldfrequentlyaskhimtobringCaptainEliotttodinner.Theyhadnotmetoftensincethoseolddays.Notonceinfiveyears，perhaps.

Heregardedfromunderhiswhiteeyebrowsthismanhecouldnotbringhimselftotakeintohisconfidenceatthisjuncture;andtheotherwentonwithhisintimateoutpourings，andasremotefromhishearerasthoughhehadbeentalkingonahill—topamileaway.

HewasinabitofaquandarynowastothesteamerSofala.Ultimatelyeveryhitchintheportcameintohishandstoundo.Theywouldmisshimwhenhewasgoneinanothereighteenmonths，andmostlikelysomeretirednavalofficerhadbeenpitchforkedintotheap—

pointment——amanthatwouldunderstandnothingandcareless.ThatsteamerwasacoastingcrafthavingasteadytradeconnectionasfarnorthasTenasserim;butthetroublewasshecouldgetnocaptaintotakeheronherregulartrip.Nobodywouldgoinher.Hereallyhadnopower，ofcourse，toorderamantotakeajob.Itwasallverywelltostretchapointonthedemandofaconsul—general，but

"What’sthematterwiththeship？"CaptainWhalleyinterruptedinmeasuredtones.

"Nothing’sthematter.Soundoldsteamer.Herownerhasbeeninmyofficethisafternoontearinghishair."

"Isheawhiteman？"askedWhalleyinaninterestedvoice.

"Hecallshimselfawhiteman，"answeredtheMaster—

Attendantscornfully;"butifso，it’sjustskin—deepandnomore.Itoldhimthattohisfacetoo."

"Butwhoishe，then？"

"He’sthechiefengineerofher.SeeTHAT，Harry？"

"Isee，"CaptainWhalleysaidthoughtfully."Theengineer.Isee."

Howthefellowcametobeashipowneratthesametimewasquiteatale.Hecameoutthirdinahomeshipnearlyfifteenyearsago，CaptainEliottremem—

bered，andgotpaidoffafterabadsortofrowbothwithhisskipperandhischief.Anyway，theyseemedjollygladtogetridofhimatallcosts.Clearlyamu—

tinoussortofchap.Well，heremainedouthere，aper—

fectnuisance，everlastinglyshippedandunshipped，un—

abletokeepaberthverylong;prettynighwentthrougheveryengine—roomafloatbelongingtothecolony.Thensuddenly，"Whatdoyouthinkhap—

pened，Harry？"

CaptainWhalley，whoseemedlostinamentaleffortasofdoingasuminhishead，gaveaslightstart.Hereallycouldn’timagine.TheMaster—Attendant’svoicevibrateddullywithhoarseemphasis.ThemanactuallyhadthelucktowinthesecondprizeintheManillalot—

tery.Alltheseengineersandofficersofshipstookticketsinthatgamble.Itseemedtobeaperfectmaniawiththemall.

Everybodyexpectednowthathewouldtakehimselfoffhomewithhismoney，andgotothedevilinhisownway.Notatall.TheSofala，judgedtoosmallandnotquitemodernenoughforthesortoftradeshewasin，couldbegotforamoderatepricefromherowners，whohadorderedanewsteamerfromEurope.Herushedinandboughther.Thismanhadnevergivenanysignsofthatsortofmentalintoxicationthemerefactofgettingholdofalargesumofmoneymaypro—

duce——nottillhegotashipofhisown;butthenhewentoffhisbalanceallatonce：camebouncingintotheMarineOfficeonsometransferbusiness，withhishathangingoverhislefteyeandswitchingalittlecaneinhishand，andtoldeachoneoftheclerksseparatelythat"Nobodycouldputhimoutnow.Itwashisturn.

Therewasnooneoverhimonearth，andthereneverwouldbeeither."Heswaggeredandstruttedbetweenthedesks，talkingatthetopofhisvoice，andtremblinglikealeafallthewhile，sothatthecurrentbusinessoftheofficewassuspendedforthetimehewasinthere，andeverybodyinthebigroomstoodopen—mouthedlookingathisantics.Afterwardshecouldbeseenduringthehottesthoursofthedaywithhisfaceasredasfirerushingalongupanddownthequaystolookathisshipfromdifferentpointsofview：heseemedinclinedtostopeverystrangerhecameacrossjusttoletthemknow"thattherewouldbenolongeranyoneoverhim;hehadboughtaship;nobodyonearthcouldputhimoutofhisengine—roomnow."

Goodbargainasshewas，thepriceoftheSofalatookupprettynearallthelottery—money.Hehadlefthim—

selfnocapitaltoworkwith.Thatdidnotmattersomuch，forthesewerethehalcyondaysofsteamcoastingtrade，beforesomeofthehomeshippingfirmshadthoughtofestablishinglocalfleetstofeedtheirmainlines.These，whenonceorganized，tookthebiggestslicesoutofthatcake，ofcourse;andby—and—byasquadofconfoundedGermantrampsturnedupeastofSuezCanalandsweptupallthecrumbs.Theyprowledonthecheaptoandfroalongthecoastandbetweentheislands，likealotofsharksinthewaterreadytosnapupanythingyouletdrop.Andthenthehigholdtimeswereoverforgood;foryearstheSofalahadmadenomore，hejudged，thanafairliving.CaptainEliottlookeduponitashisdutyineverywaytoassistanEnglishshiptoholdherown;anditstoodtoreasonthatifforwantofacaptaintheSofalabegantomisshertripsshewouldverysoonlosehertrade.Therewasthequandary.Themanwastooimpracticable."Toomuchofabeggaronhorsebackfromthefirst，"heex—

plained."Seemedtogrowworseasthetimewenton.

Inthelastthreeyearshe’srunthroughelevenskippers;

hehadtriedeverysinglemanhere，outsideoftheregu—

larlines.Ihadwarnedhimbeforethatthiswouldnotdo.Andnow，ofcourse，noonewilllookattheSofala.

Ihadoneortwomenupatmyofficeandtalkedtothem;but，astheysaidtome，whatwasthegoodoftakingtheberthtoleadaregulardog’slifeforamonthandthengetthesackattheendofthefirsttrip？

Thefellow，ofcourse，toldmeitwasallnonsense;therehasbeenaplothatchingforyearsagainsthim.Andnowithadcome.Allthehorridsailorsintheporthadconspiredtobringhimtohisknees，becausehewasanengineer."

CaptainEliottemittedathroatychuckle.

"Andthefactis，thatifhemissesacouplemoretripsheneednevertroublehimselftostartagain.Hewon’tfindanycargoinhisoldtrade.There’stoomuchcom—

petitionnowadaysforpeopletokeeptheirstufflyingaboutforashipthatdoesnotturnupwhenshe’sex—

pected.It’sabadlookoutforhim.Heswearshewillshuthimselfonboardandstarvetodeathinhiscabinratherthansellher——evenifhecouldfindabuyer.Andthat’snotlikelyintheleast.NoteventheJapswouldgiveherinsuredvalueforher.Itisn’tlikesellingsailing—ships.SteamersDOgetoutofdate，besidesget—

tingold."

"Hemusthavelaidbyagoodbitofmoneythough，"

observedCaptainWhalleyquietly.

TheHarbor—masterpuffedouthispurplecheekstoanamazingsize.

"Notastiver，Harry.Not——a——single——sti—ver."

Hewaited;butasCaptainWhalley，strokinghisbeardslowly，lookeddownonthegroundwithoutaword，hetappedhimontheforearm，tiptoed，andsaidinahoarsewhisper——

"TheManillalotteryhasbeeneatinghimup."

Hefrownedalittle，noddingintinyaffirmativejerks.

Theyallweregoinginforit;athirdofthewagespaidtoships’officers（"inmyport，"hesnorted）wenttoManilla.Itwasamania.ThatfellowMassyhadbeenbittenbyitliketherestofthemfromthefirst;

butafterwinningonceheseemedtohavepersuadedhimselfhehadonlytotryagaintogetanotherbigprize.Hehadtakendozensandscoresofticketsforeverydrawingsince.Whatwiththisviceandhisig—

noranceofaffairs，eversincehehadimprovidentlyboughtthatsteamerhehadbeenmoreorlessshortofmoney.

This，inCaptainEliott’sopinion，gaveanopeningforasensiblesailor—manwithafewpoundstostepinandsavethatfoolfromtheconsequencesofhisfolly.

Itwashiscrazetoquarrelwithhiscaptains.Hehadhadsomereallygoodmentoo，whowouldhavebeentoogladtostayifhewouldonlyletthem.Butno.Heseemedtothinkhewasnoownerunlesshewaskickingsomebodyoutinthemorningandhavingarowwiththenewmanintheevening.Whatwaswantedforhimwasamasterwithacoupleofhundredorsototakeaninterestintheshiponproperconditions.Youdon’tdischargeamanfornofault，onlybecauseofthefunoftellinghimtopackuphistrapsandgoashore，whenyouknowthatinthatcaseyouareboundtobuybackhisshare.Ontheotherhand，afellowwithaninterestintheshipisnotlikelytothrowuphisjobinahuffaboutatrifle.HehadtoldMassythat.Hehadsaid：

"’Thiswon’tdo，Mr.Massy.WearegettingverysickofyouhereintheMarineOffice.Whatyoumustdonowistotrywhetheryoucouldgetasailortojoinyouaspartner.Thatseemstobetheonlyway.’Andthatwassoundadvice，Harry."

CaptainWhalley，leaningonhisstick，wasperfectlystillallover，andhishand，arrestedintheactofstrok—

ing，graspedhiswholebeard.Andwhatdidthefellowsaytothat？

ThefellowhadtheaudacitytoflyoutattheMaster—

Attendant.Hehadreceivedtheadviceinamostim—

pudentmanner."Ididn’tcomeheretobelaughedat，"

hehadshrieked."IappealtoyouasanEnglishmanandashipownerbroughttothevergeofruinbyanillegalconspiracyofyourbeggarlysailors，andallyoucondescendtodoformeistotellmetogoandgetapartner！"Thefellowhadpresumedtostampwithrageontheflooroftheprivateoffice.Wherewashegoingtogetapartner？Washebeingtakenforafool？Notasingleoneofthatcontemptiblelotashoreatthe"Home"hadtwopenceinhispockettoblesshimselfwith.Theverynativecursinthebazaarknewthatmuch"Andit’strueenough，Harry，"rum—

bledCaptainEliottjudicially."TheyaremuchmorelikelyoneandalltoowemoneytotheChinameninDenhamRoadfortheclothesontheirbacks.’Well，’

saidI，’youmaketoomuchnoiseoveritformytaste，Mr.Massy.Goodmorning.’Hebangedthedoorafterhim;hedaredtobangmydoor，confoundhischeek！"

TheheadoftheMarinedepartmentwasoutofbreathwithindignation;thenrecollectinghimselfasitwere，"I’llendbybeinglatetodinner——yarningwithyouherewifedoesn’tlikeit."

Heclamberedponderouslyintothetrap;leanedoutsideways，andonlythenwonderedwheezilywhatonearthCaptainWhalleycouldhavebeendoingwithhimselfoflate.Theyhadhadnosightofeachotherforyearsandyearstilltheotherdaywhenhehadseenhimunexpectedlyintheoffice.

Whatonearth

CaptainWhalleyseemedtobesmilingtohimselfinhiswhitebeard.

"Theearthisbig，"hesaidvaguely.

Theother，asiftotestthestatement，staredallroundfromhisdriving—seat.TheEsplanadewasveryquiet;

onlyfromafar，fromveryfar，alongwayfromthesea—

shore，acrossthestretchesofgrass，throughthelongrangesoftrees，camefaintlythetoot——toot——tootofthecablecarbeginningtorollbeforetheemptyperistyleofthePublicLibraryonitsthree—milejourneytotheNewHarborDocks.

"Doesn’tseemtobesomuchroomonit，"growledtheMaster—Attendant，"sincetheseGermanscamealongshoulderingusateveryturn.Itwasnotsoinourtime."

Hefellintodeepthought，breathingstertorously，asthoughhehadbeentakinganapopen—eyed.Perhapshetoo，onhisside，haddetectedinthesilentpilgrim—

likefigure，standingtherebythewheel，likeanarrestedwayfarer，theburiedlineamentsofthefeaturesbelong—

ingtotheyoungcaptainoftheCondor.Goodfellow——

HarryWhalley——neververytalkative.Youneverknewwhathewasupto——abittoooff—handwithpeopleofconsequence，andapttotakeawrongviewofafel—

low’sactions.Factwashehadatoogoodopinionofhimself.Hewouldhavelikedtotellhimtogetinanddrivehimhometodinner.Butoneneverknew.Wifewouldnotlikeit.

"Andit’sfunnytothink，Harry，"hewentoninabig，subdueddrone，"thatofallthepeopleonitthereseemsonlyyouandIlefttorememberthispartoftheworldasitusedtobe"

Hewasreadytoindulgeinthesweetnessofasenti—

mentalmoodhaditnotstruckhimsuddenlythatCap—

tainWhalley，unstirringandwithoutaword，seemedtobeawaitingsomething——perhapsexpectingHegatheredthereinsatonceandburstoutinbluff，heartygrowls——

"Ha！Mydearboy.Themenwehaveknown——theshipswe’vesailed——ay！andthethingswe’vedone"

Theponyplunged——thesyceskippedoutoftheway.

CaptainWhalleyraisedhisarm.

"Good—by."

VI

Thesunhadset.Andwhen，afterdrillingadeepholewithhisstick，hemovedfromthatspotthenighthadmasseditsarmyofshadowsunderthetrees.Theyfilledtheeasternendsoftheavenuesasifonlywaitingthesignalforageneraladvanceupontheopenspacesoftheworld;theyweregatheringlowbetweenthedeepstone—facedbanksofthecanal.TheMalayprau，half—

concealedunderthearchofthebridge，hadnotaltereditspositionaquarterofaninch.ForalongtimeCap—

tainWhalleystareddownovertheparapet，tillatlastthefloatingimmobilityofthatbeshroudedthingseemedtogrowuponhimintosomethinginexplicableandalarming.Thetwilightabandonedthezenith;itsre—

flectedgleamslefttheworldbelow，andthewaterofthecanalseemedtoturnintopitch.CaptainWhalleycrossedit.

Theturningtotheright，whichwashiswaytohishotel，wasonlyaveryfewstepsfarther.Hestoppedagain（allthehousesofthesea—frontwereshutup，thequaysidewasdeserted，butforoneortwofiguresofnativeswalkinginthedistance）andbegantoreckontheamountofhisbill.Somanydaysinthehotelatsomanydollarsaday.Tocountthedaysheusedhisfingers：plungingonehandintohispocket，hejingledafewsilvercoins.Allrightforthreedaysmore;andthen，unlesssomethingturnedup，hemustbreakintothefivehundred——Ivy’smoney——investedinherfather.

Itseemedtohimthatthefirstmealcomingoutofthatreservewouldchokehim——forcertain.Reasonwasofnouse.Itwasamatteroffeeling.Hisfeelingshadneverplayedhimfalse.

Hedidnotturntotheright.Hewalkedon，asiftherestillhadbeenashipintheroadsteadtowhichhecouldgethimselfpulledoffintheevening.Faraway，beyondthehouses，ontheslopeofanindigopromontoryclosingtheviewofthequays，theslimcolumnofafactory—chimneysmokedquietlystraightupintotheclearair.AChinaman，curleddowninthesternofoneofthehalf—dozensampansfloatingofftheendofthejetty，caughtsightofabeckoninghand.

Hejumpedup，rolledhispigtailroundhisheadswiftly，tuckedintworapidmovementshiswidedarktrousershighuphisyellowthighs，andbyasingle，noiseless，fin—

likestiroftheoars，sheeredthesampanalongsidethestepswiththeeaseandprecisionofaswimmingfish.

"Sofala，"articulatedCaptainWhalleyfromabove;

andtheChinaman，anewemigrantprobably，staredupwardswithatenseattentionasifwaitingtoseethequeerwordfallvisiblyfromthewhiteman’slips.

"Sofala，"CaptainWhalleyrepeated;andsuddenlyhisheartfailedhim.Hepaused.Theshores，theislets，thehighground，thelowpoints，weredark：thehorizonhadgrownsomber;andacrosstheeasternsweepoftheshorethewhiteobelisk，markingthelanding—placeofthetelegraph—cable，stoodlikeapaleghostonthebeachbeforethedarkspreadofunevenroofs，intermingledwithpalms，ofthenativetown.CaptainWhalleybe—

ganagain.

"Sofala.SaveeSo—fa—la，John？"

ThistimetheChinamanmadeoutthatbizarresound，andgruntedhisassentuncouthly，lowdowninhisbarethroat.Withthefirstyellowtwinkleofastarthatap—

pearedliketheheadofapinstabbeddeepintothesmooth，pale，shimmeringfabricofthesky，theedgeofakeenchillseemedtocleavethroughthewarmairoftheearth.Atthemomentofsteppingintothesam—

pantogoandtryforthecommandoftheSofalaCap—

tainWhalleyshiveredalittle.

WhenonhisreturnhelandedonthequayagainVenus，likeachoicejewelsetlowonthehemofthesky，castafaintgoldtrailbehindhimupontheroadstead，aslevelasafloormadeofonedarkandpolishedstone.

Theloftyvaultsoftheavenueswereblack——allblackoverhead——andtheporcelainglobesonthelamp—postsresembledegg—shapedpearls，giganticandluminous，displayedinarowwhosefartherendseemedtosinkinthedistance，downtothelevelofhisknees.Heputhishandsbehindhisback.Hewouldnowconsidercalmlythediscretionofitbeforesayingthefinalwordto—morrow.Hisfeetscrunchedthegravelloudly——thediscretionofit.Itwouldhavebeeneasiertoappraisehadtherebeenaworkablealternative.Thehonestyofitwasindubitable：hemeantwellbythefellow;andperiodicallyhisshadowleapedupintensebyhissideonthetrunksofthetrees，tolengthenitself，obliqueanddim，faroverthegrass——repeatinghisstride.

Thediscretionofit.Wasthereachoice？Heseemedalreadytohavelostsomethingofhimself;tohavegivenuptoahungryspectersomethingofhistruthanddig—

nityinordertolive.Buthislifewasnecessary.Letpovertydoitsworstinexactingitstollofhumiliation.

ItwascertainthatNedEliotthadrenderedhim，with—

outknowingit，aserviceforwhichitwouldhavebeenimpossibletoask.HehopedNedwouldnotthinktherehadbeensomethingunderhandinhisaction.Hesup—

posedthatnowwhenheheardofithewouldunderstand——orperhapshewouldonlythinkWhalleyaneccentricoldfool.Whatwouldhavebeenthegoodoftellinghim——anymorethanofblurtingthewholetaletothatmanMassy？Fivehundredpoundsreadytoinvest.Lethimmakethebestofthat.Lethimwonder.Youwantacaptain——Iwantaship.That’senough.B—r—r—r—r.

Whatadisagreeableimpressionthatempty，dark，echoingsteamerhadmadeuponhim

Alaid—upsteamerwasadeadthingandnomistake;

asailing—shipsomehowseemsalwaysreadytospringintolifewiththebreathoftheincorruptibleheaven;

butateamer，thoughtCaptainWhalley，withherfiresout，withoutthewarmwhiffsfrombelowmeetingyouonherdecks，withoutthehissofsteam，theclangsofironinherbreast——liesthereascoldandstillandpulselessasacorpse.

Inthesolitudeoftheavenue，allblackaboveandlightedbelow，CaptainWhalley，consideringthedis—

cretionofhiscourse，met，asitwereincidentally，thethoughtofdeath.Hepusheditasidewithdislikeandcontempt.Healmostlaughedatit;andintheun—

quenchablevitalityofhisageonlythoughtwithakindofexultationhowlittleheneededtokeepbodyandsoultogether.Notabadinvestmentforthepoorwomanthissolidcarcassofherfather.Andfortherest——incaseofanything——theagreementshouldbeclear：thewholefivehundredtobepaidbacktoherintegrallywithinthreemonths.Integrally.Everypenny.Hewasnottoloseanyofhermoneywhateverelsehadtogo——alittledignity——someofhisself—respect.Hehadneverbeforeallowedanybodytoremainunderanysortoffalseimpressionastohimself.Well，letthatgo——forhersake.Afterall，hehadneverSAIDany—

thingmisleading——andCaptainWhalleyfelthimselfcorrupttothemarrowofhisbones.Helaughedalittlewiththeintimatescornofhisworldlyprudence.

Clearly，withafellowofthatsort，andinthepeculiarrelationtheyweretostandtoeachother，itwouldnothavedonetoblurtouteverything.Hedidnotlikethefellow.Hedidnotlikehisspellsoffawningloquacityandburstsofresentfulness.Intheend——apoordevil.

Hewouldnothavelikedtostandinhisshoes.Menwerenotevil，afterall.Hedidnotlikehissleekhair，hisqueerwayofstandingatrightangles，withhisnoseintheair，andglancingalonghisshoulderatyou.No.

Onthewhole，menwerenotbad——theywereonlysillyorunhappy.

CaptainWhalleyhadfinishedconsideringthediscre—

tionofthatstep——andtherewasthewholelongnightbeforehim.Inthefulllighthislongbeardwouldglistenlikeasilverbreastplatecoveringhisheart;inthespacesbetweenthelampshisburlyfigurepassedlessdistinct，loomedverybig，wandering，andmysterious.

No;therewasnotmuchrealharminmen：andallthetimeashadowmarchedwithhim，slantingonhislefthand——whichintheEastisapresageofevil

"Canyoumakeouttheclumpofpalmsyet，Serang？"

askedCaptainWhalleyfromhischaironthebridgeoftheSofalaapproachingthebarofBatuBeru.

"No，Tuan.By—and—bysee."TheoldMalay，inabluedungareesuit，plantedonhisbonydarkfeetunderthebridgeawning，puthishandsbehindhisbackandstaredaheadoutoftheinnumerablewrinklesatthecornersofhiseyes.

CaptainWhalleysatstill，withoutliftinghisheadtolookforhimself.Threeyears——thirty—sixtimes.Hehadmadethesepalmsthirty—sixtimesfromthesouth—

ward.Theywouldcomeintoviewatthepropertime.

ThankGod，theoldshipmadehercoursesanddistancestripaftertrip，ascorrectasclockwork.Atlasthemur—

muredagain——

"Insightyet？"

"Thesunmakesaverygreatglare，Tuan."

"Watchwell，Serang."

"Ya，Tuan."

Awhitemanhadascendedtheladderfromthedecknoiselessly，andhadlistenedquietlytothisshortcol—

loquy.Thenhesteppedoutonthebridgeandbegantowalkfromendtoend，holdingupthelongcherry—

woodstemofapipe.Hisblackhairlayplasteredinlonglankywispsacrossthebaldsummitofhishead;

hehadafurrowedbrow，ayellowcomplexion，andathickshapelessnose.Ascantygrowthofwhiskerdidnotconcealthecontourofhisjaw.Hisaspectwasofbroodingcare;andsuckingatacurvedblackmouth—

piece，hepresentedsuchaheavyoverhangingprofilethateventheSerangcouldnothelpreflectingsometimesupontheextremeunlovelinessofsomewhitemen.

CaptainWhalleyseemedtobracehimselfupinhischair，butgavenorecognitionwhatevertohispresence.

Theotherpuffedjetsofsmoke;thensuddenly——

"IcouldneverunderstandthatnewmaniaofyoursofhavingthisMalayhereforyourshadow，partner."

CaptainWhalleygotupfromthechairinallhisim—

posingstatureandwalkedacrosstothebinnacle，hold—

ingsuchanunswervingcoursethattheotherhadtobackawayhurriedly，andremainedasifintimidated，withthepipetremblinginhishand."Walkovermenow，"hemutteredinasortofastoundedanddis—

comfitedwhisper.Thenslowlyanddistinctlyhesaid——

"I——am——not——dirt."Andthenaddeddefiantly，"Asyouseemtothink."

TheSerangjerkedout——

"Seethepalmsnow，Tuan."

CaptainWhalleystrodeforwardtotherail;buthiseyes，insteadofgoingstraighttothepoint，withtheassuredkeenglanceofasailor，wanderedirresolutelyinspace，asthoughhe，thediscovererofnewroutes，hadlosthiswayuponthisnarrowsea.

Anotherwhiteman，themate，cameuponthebridge.

Hewastall，young，lean，withamustachelikeatrooper，andsomethingmaliciousintheeye.Hetookupapositionbesidetheengineer.CaptainWhalley，withhisbacktothem，inquired——

"What’sonthelog？"

"Eighty—five，"answeredthematequickly，andnudgedtheengineerwithhiselbow.

CaptainWhalley’smuscularhandssqueezedtheironrailwithanextraordinaryforce;hiseyesglaredwithanenormouseffort;heknittedhiseyebrows，theper—

spirationfellfromunderhishat，——andinafaintvoicehemurmured，"Steadyher，Serang——whensheisontheproperbearing."

ThesilentMalaysteppedback，waitedalittle，andliftedhisarmwarninglytothehelmsman.Thewheelrevolvedrapidlytomeettheswingoftheship.Againthemadenudgedtheengineer.ButMassyturneduponhim.

"Mr.Sterne，"hesaidviolently，"letmetellyou——

asashipowner——thatyouarenobetterthanacon—

foundedfool."

VII

Sternewentdownsmirkingandapparentlynotatalldisconcerted，buttheengineerMassyremainedonthebridge，movingaboutwithuneasyself—assertion.

Everybodyonboardwashisinferior——everyonewith—

outexception.Hepaidtheirwagesandfoundthemintheirfood.Theyatemoreofhisbreadandpocketedmoreofhismoneythantheywereworth;andtheyhadnocareintheworld，whilehealonehadtomeetallthedifficultiesofshipowning.Whenhecontemplatedhispositioninallitsmenacingentirety，itseemedtohimthathehadbeenforyearsthepreyofabandofpara—

sites：andforyearshehadscowledateverybodycon—

nectedwiththeSofalaexcept，perhaps，attheChinesefiremenwhoservedtogetheralong.Theirusewasmanifest：theywereanindispensablepartofthema—

chineryofwhichhewasthemaster.

Whenhepassedalonghisdecksheshoulderedthosehecameacrossbrutally;buttheMalaydeckhandshadlearnedtododgeoutofhisway.Hehadtobringhim—

selftotoleratethembecauseofthenecessarymanuallaboroftheshipwhichmustbedone.HehadtostruggleandplanandschemetokeeptheSofalaafloat——andwhatdidhegetforit？Notevenenoughrespect.

Theycouldnothavegivenhimenoughofthatifalltheirthoughtsandalltheiractionshadbeendirectedtothatend.Thevanityofpossession，thevaingloryofpower，hadpassedawaybythistime，andtherere—

mainedonlythematerialembarrassments，thefearoflosingthatpositionwhichhadturnedoutnotworthhaving，andananxietyofthoughtwhichnoabjectsub—

servienceofmencouldrepay.

Hewalkedupanddown.Thebridgewashisownafterall.Hehadpaidforit;andwiththestemofthepipeinhishandhewouldstopshortattimesasiftolistenwithaprofoundandconcentratedattentiontothedeadenedbeatoftheengines（hisownengines）

andtheslightgrindingofthesteeringchainsuponthecontinuouslowwashofwateralongside.Butforthesesounds，theshipmighthavebeenlyingasstillasifmooredtoabank，andassilentasifabandonedbyeverylivingsoul;onlythecoast，thelowcoastofmudandmangroveswiththethreepalmsinabunchattheback，grewslowlymoredistinctinitslongstraightline，with—

outasinglefeaturetoarrestattention.ThenativepassengersoftheSofalalayaboutonmatsundertheawnings;thesmokeofherfunnelseemedtheonlysignofherlifeandconnectedwithherglidingmotioninamysteriousmanner.

CaptainWhalleyonhisfeet，withapairofbinocularsinhishandandthelittleMalaySerangathiselbow，likeanoldgiantattendedbyawizenedpigmy，wastak—

ingherovertheshallowwaterofthebar.

Thissubmarineridgeofmud，scouredbythestreamoutofthesoftbottomoftheriverandheapedupfaroutonthehardbottomofthesea，wasdifficulttogetover.Thealluvialcoasthavingnodistinguishingmarks，thebearingsofthecrossing—placehadtobetakenfromtheshapeofthemountainsinland.Theguidanceofaformflattenedandunevenatthetoplikeagrindertooth，andofanothersmooth，saddle—backedsummit，hadtobesearchedforwithinthegreatun—

cloudedglarethatseemedtoshiftandfloatlikeadryfierymist，fillingtheair，ascendingfromthewater，shroudingthedistances，scorchingtotheeye.Inthisveiloflightthenearedgeoftheshorealonestoodoutalmostcoal—blackwithanopaqueandmotionlesssolidity.Thirtymilesawaytheserratedrangeoftheinteriorstretchedacrossthehorizon，itsoutlinesandshadesofblue，faintandtremulouslikeabackgroundpaintedonairygossameronthequiveringfabricofanimpalpablecurtainletdowntotheplainofalluvialsoil;

andtheopeningsoftheestuaryappeared，shiningwhite，likebitsofsilverletintothesquarepiecessnippedcleanandsharpoutofthebodyofthelandborderedwithmangroves.

Ontheforepartofthebridgethegiantandthepigmymutteredtoeachotherfrequentlyinquiettones.Be—

hindthemMassystoodsidewayswithanexpressionofdisdainandsuspenseonhisface.Hisglobulareyeswereperfectlymotionless，andheseemedtohavefor—

gottenthelongpipeheheldinhishand.

Onthefore—deckbelowthebridge，steeplyroofedwiththewhiteslopesoftheawnings，ayounglascarseamanhadclamberedoutsidetherail.Headjustedquicklyabroadbandofsailcanvasunderhisarmpits，andthrowinghischestagainstit，leanedoutfaroverthewater.Thesleevesofhisthincottonshirt，cutoffclosetotheshoulder，baredhisbrownarmoffullroundedformandwithasatinyskinlikeawoman’s.Heswungitrigidlywiththerotaryandmenacingactionofaslinger：the14—lb.weighthurtledcirclingintheair，thensuddenlyflewaheadasfarasthecurveofthebow.

Thewetthinlineswishedlikescratchedsilkrunningthroughthedarkfingersoftheman，andtheplungeoftheleadclosetotheship’ssidemadeavanishingsilveryscaruponthegoldenglitter;thenafteranintervalthevoiceoftheyoungMalayupliftedandlong—drawnde—

claredthedepthofthewaterinhisownlanguage.

"Tigastengah，"hecriedaftereachsplashandpause，gatheringthelinebusilyforanothercast."Tigastengah，"whichmeansthreefathomandahalf.Foramileorsofromseawardtherewasauniformdepthofwaterrightuptothebar."Half—three.Half—

three.Half—three，"——andhismodulatedcry，returnedleisurelyandmonotonous，liketherepeatedcallofabird，seemedtofloatawayinsunshineanddisappearinthespacioussilenceoftheemptyseaandofalifelessshorelyingopen，northandsouth，eastandwest，with—

outthestirofasinglecloud—shadoworthewhisperofanyothervoice.

Theowner—engineeroftheSofalaremainedverystillbehindthetwoseamenofdifferentrace，creed，andcolor;theEuropeanwiththetime—defyingvigorofhisoldframe，thelittleMalay，old，too，butslightandshrunkenlikeawitheredbrownleafblownbyachancewindunderthemightyshadowoftheother.Verybusylookingforwardattheland，theyhadnotaglancetospare;andMassy，glaringatthemfrombehind，seemedtoresenttheirattentiontotheirdutylikeaper—

sonalslightuponhimself.

Thiswasunreasonable;buthehadlivedinhisownworldofunreasonableresentmentsformanyyears.Atlast，passinghismoistpalmovertherarelankywispsofcoarsehaironthetopofhisyellowhead，hebegantotalkslowly.

"Aleadsman，youwant！Isupposethat’syourcor—

rectmail—boatstyle.Haven’tyouenoughjudgmenttotellwhereyouarebylookingattheland？Why，beforeIhadbeenatwelvemonthinthetradeIwasuptothattrick——andIamonlyanengineer.Icanpointtoyoufromherewherethebaris，andIcouldtellyoubesidesthatyouareaslikelyasnottostickherinthemudinaboutfiveminutesfromnow;onlyyouwouldcallitinterfering，Isuppose.Andthere’sthatwrittenagreementofours，thatsaysImustn’tinterfere."

Hisvoicestopped.CaptainWhalley，withoutrelax—

ingthesetseverityofhisfeatures，movedhislipstoaskinaquickmumble——

"Hownear，Serang？"

"Verynearnow，Tuan，"theMalaymutteredrapidly.

"Deadslow，"saidtheCaptainaloudinafirmtone.

TheSerangsnatchedatthehandleofthetelegraph.

Agongclangeddownbelow.Massywithascornfulsniggerwalkedoffandputhisheaddowntheengine—

roomskylight.

"Youmayexpectsomerarefoolingwiththeengines，Jack，"hebellowed.Thespaceintowhichhestaredwasdeepandfullofgloom;andthegraygleamsofsteeldownthereseemedcoolaftertheintenseglareoftheseaaroundtheship.Theair，however，cameupclammyandhotonhisface.Ashorthootonwhichitwouldhavebeenimpossibletoputanysortofinterpretationcamefromthebottomcavernously.Thiswasthewayinwhichthesecondengineeransweredhischief.

Hewasamiddle—agedmanwithaninattentiveman—

ner，andapparentlywrappedupinsuchataciturncon—

cernforhisenginesthatheseemedtohavelosttheuseofspeech.Whenaddresseddirectlyhisonlyanswerwouldbeagruntorahoot，accordingtothedistance.

ForalltheyearshehadbeenintheSofalahehadneverbeenknowntoexchangeasmuchasafrankGood—morn—

ingwithanyofhisshipmates.Hedidnotseemawarethatmencameandwentintheworld;hedidnotseemtoseethematall.Indeedheneverrecognizedhisshipmatesonshore.Attable（thefourwhitemenoftheSofalamessedtogether）hesatlookingintohisplatedispassionately，butattheendofthemealwouldjumpupandboltdownbelowasifasuddenthoughthadim—

pelledhimtorushandseewhethersomebodyhadnotstolentheengineswhilehedined.Inportattheendofthetriphewentashoreregularly，butnooneknewwherehespenthiseveningsorinwhatmanner.ThelocalcoastingfleethadpreservedawildandincoherenttaleofhisinfatuationforthewifeofasergeantinanIrishinfantryregiment.Theregiment，however，haddoneitsturnofgarrisondutythereagesbefore，andwasgonesomewheretotheothersideoftheearth，outofmen’sknowledge.Twiceorperhapsthreetimesinthecourseoftheyearhewouldtaketoomuchtodrink.

Ontheseoccasionshereturnedonboardatanearlierhourthanusual;ranacrossthedeckbalancinghimselfwithhisspreadarmslikeatight—ropewalker;andlockingthedoorofhiscabin，hewouldconverseandarguewithhimselfthelivelongnightinanamazingvarietyoftones;storm，sneer，andwhinewithaninex—

haustiblepersistence.Massyinhisberthnextdoor，raisinghimselfonhiselbow，woulddiscoverthathissecondhadrememberedthenameofeverywhitemanthathadpassedthroughtheSofalaforyearsandyearsback.Herememberedthenamesofmenthathaddied，thathadgonehome，thathadgonetoAmerica：herememberedinhiscupsthenamesofmenwhosecon—

nectionwiththeshiphadbeensoshortthatMassyhadalmostforgottenitscircumstancesandcouldbarelyre—

calltheirfaces.Theinebriatedvoiceontheothersideofthebulkheadcommenteduponthemallwithanex—

traordinaryandingeniousvenomofscandalousinven—

tions.Itseemstheyhadalloffendedhiminsomeway，andinreturnhehadfoundthemallout.Hemuttereddarkly;helaughedsardonically;hecrushedthemoneafteranother;butofhischief，Massy，hebabbledwithanenviousandnaiveadmiration.Cleverscoundrel！

Don’tmeetthelikesofhimeveryday.Justlookathim.Ha！Great！Shipofhisown.Wouldn’tcatchHIMgoingwrong.Nofear——thebeast！AndMassy，afterlisteningwithagratifiedsmiletotheseartlesstributestohisgreatness，wouldbegintoshout，thump—

ingatthebulkheadwithbothfists——

"Shutup，youlunatic！Won’tyouletmegotosleep，youfool！"

Butahalfsmileofpridelingeredonhislips;outsidethesolitarylascartoldofffornightdutyinharbor，perhapsayouthfreshfromaforestvillage，wouldstandmotionlessintheshadowsofthedecklisteningtotheendlessdrunkengabble.Hisheartwouldbethumpingwithbreathlessaweofwhitemen：thearbitraryandobstinatemenwhopursueinflexiblytheirincompre—

hensiblepurposes，——beingswithweirdintonationsinthevoice，movedbyunaccountablefeelings，actuatedbyin—

scrutablemotives.

VIII

Forawhileafterhissecond’sansweringhootMassyhungovertheengine—roomgloomily.CaptainWhal—

ley，who，bythepoweroffivehundredpounds，hadkepthiscommandforthreeyears，mighthavebeensuspectedofneverhavingseenthatcoastbefore.Heseemedun—

abletoputdownhisglasses，asthoughtheyhadbeengluedunderhiscontractedeyebrows.Thissettledfrowngavetohisfaceanairofinvincibleandjustseverity;buthisraisedelbowtrembledslightly，andtheperspirationpouredfromunderhishatasifasecondsunhadsuddenlyblazedupatthezenithbythesideoftheardentstillglobealreadythere，inwhoseblindingwhiteheattheearthwhirledandshonelikeamoteofdust.

Fromtimetotime，stillholdinguphisglasses，heraisedhisotherhandtowipehisstreamingface.Thedropsrolleddownhischeeks，felllikerainuponthewhitehairsofhisbeard，andbrusquely，asifguidedbyanuncontrollableandanxiousimpulse，hisarmreachedouttothestandoftheengine—roomtelegraph.

Thegongclangeddownbelow.Thebalancedvibra—

tionofthedead—slowspeedceasedtogetherwitheverysoundandtremorintheship，asifthegreatstillnessthatreigneduponthecoasthadstoleninthroughhersidesofironandtakenpossessionofherinnermostre—

cesses.Theillusionofperfectimmobilityseemedtofalluponherfromtheluminousbluedomewithoutastainarchingoveraflatseawithoutastir.Thefaintbreezeshehadmadeforherselfexpired，asifallatoncetheairhadbecometoothicktobudge;eventheslighthissofthewateronherstemdiedout.Thenar—

row，longhull，carryingitswaywithoutaripple，seemedtoapproachtheshoalwaterofthebarbystealth.Theplungeoftheleadwiththemournful，mechanicalcryofthelascarcameatlongerandlongerintervals;andthemenonherbridgeseemedtoholdtheirbreath.TheMalayatthehelmlookedfixedlyatthecompasscard，theCaptainandtheSerangstaredatthecoast.

Massyhadlefttheskylight，and，walkingflat—footed，hadreturnedsoftlytotheveryspotonthebridgehehadoccupiedbefore.Aslow，lingeringgrinexposedhissetofbigwhiteteeth：theygleamedevenlyintheshadeoftheawninglikethekeyboardofapianoinaduskyroom.

Atlast，pretendingtotalktohimselfinexcessiveas—

tonishment，hesaidnotveryloud——

"Stoptheenginesnow.Whatnext，Iwonder？"

Hewaited，stoopingfromtheshoulders，hisheadbowed，hisglanceoblique.Thenraisinghisvoiceashade——

"IfIdaredmakeanabsurdremarkIwouldsaythatyouhaven’tthestomachto"

Butayellingspiritofexcitement，likesomefranticsoulwanderingunsuspectedinthevaststillnessofthecoast，hadseizeduponthebodyofthelascaratthelead.

Thelanguidmonotonyofhissing—songchangedtoaswift，sharpclamor.Theweightflewafterasinglewhir，thelinewhistled，splashfollowedsplashinhaste.

Thewaterhadshoaled，andtheman，insteadofthedrowsytaleoffathoms，wascallingoutthesoundingsinfeet.

"Fifteenfeet.Fifteen，fifteen！Fourteen，four—

teen"

CaptainWhalleyloweredthearmholdingtheglasses.

Itdescendedslowlyasifbyitsownweight;nootherpartofhistoweringbodystirred;andtheswiftcrieswiththeireagerwarningnotepassedhimbyasthoughhehadbeendeaf.

Massy，verystill，andturninganattentiveear，hadfastenedhiseyesuponthesilvery，close—croppedbackofthesteadyoldhead.Theshipherselfseemedtobearrestedbutforthegradualdecreaseofdepthunderherkeel.

"ThirteenfeetThirteen！Twelve！"criedtheleadsmananxiouslybelowthebridge.AndsuddenlythebarefootedSerangsteppedawaynoiselesslytostealaglanceovertheside.

Narrowofshoulder，inasuitoffadedbluecotton，anoldgrayfelthatrammeddownonhishead，withahollowinthenapeofhisdarkneck，andwithhisslenderlimbs，heappearedfromthebacknobiggerthanaboyoffourteen.Therewasachildlikeimpulsivenessinthecuriositywithwhichhewatchedthespreadofthevoluminous，yellowishconvolutionsrollingupfrombe—

lowtothesurfaceofthebluewaterlikemassivecloudsdrivingslowlyupwardsontheunfathomablesky.Hewasnotstartledatthesightintheleast.Itwasnotdoubt，butthecertitudethatthekeeloftheSofalamustbestirringthemudnow，whichmadehimpeepovertheside.

Hispeeringeyes，setaslantinafaceoftheChinesetype，alittleoldface，immovable，asifcarvedinoldbrownoak，hadinformedhimlongbeforethattheshipwasnotheadedatthebarproperly.PaidofffromtheFairMaid，togetherwiththerestofthecrew，afterthecompletionofthesale，hehadhung，inhisfadedbluesuitandfloppygrayhat，aboutthedoorsoftheHarborOffice，tilloneday，seeingCaptainWhalleycomingalongtogetacrewfortheSofala，hehadputhimselfquietlyintheway，withhisbarefeetinthedustandanupwardmuteglance.Theeyesofhisoldcom—

manderhadfallenonhimfavorably——itmusthavebeenanauspiciousday——andinlessthanhalfanhourthewhitemeninthe"Ofiss"hadwrittenhisnameonadocumentasSerangofthefire—shipSofala.Sincethattimehehadrepeatedlylookedatthatestuary，uponthatcoast，fromthisbridgeandfromthissideofthebar.Therecordofthevisualworldfellthroughhiseyesuponhisunspeculatingmindasonasensitizedplatethroughthelensofacamera.Hisknowledgewasabsoluteandprecise;nevertheless，hadhebeenaskedhisopinion，andespeciallyifquestionedinthedown—

right，alarmingmannerofwhitemen，hewouldhavedisplayedthehesitationofignorance.Hewascertainofhisfacts——butsuchacertitudecountedforlittleagainstthedoubtwhatanswerwouldbepleasing.

Fiftyyearsago，inajunglevillage，andbeforehewasadayold，hisfather（whodiedwithouteverseeingawhiteface）hadhadhisnativitycastbyamanofskillandwisdominastrology，becauseinthearrange—

mentofthestarsmaybereadthelastwordofhumandestiny.Hisdestinyhadbeentothrivebythefavorofvariouswhitemenonthesea.Hehadsweptthedecksofships，hadtendedtheirhelms，hadmindedtheirstores，hadrisenatlasttobeaSerang;andhisplacidmindhadremainedasincapableofpenetratingthesim—

plestmotivesofthoseheservedastheythemselveswereincapableofdetectingthroughthecrustoftheearththesecretnatureofitsheart，whichmaybefireormaybestone.ButhehadnodoubtwhateverthattheSofalawasoutofthepropertrackforcrossingthebaratBatuBeru.

Itwasaslighterror.Theshipcouldnothavebeenmorethantwiceherownlengthtoofartothenorth—

ward;andawhitemanatalossforacause（sinceitwasimpossibletosuspectCaptainWhalleyofblunder—

ingignorance，ofwantofskill，orofneglect）wouldhavebeeninclinedtodoubtthetestimonyofhissenses.

ItwassomesuchfeelingthatkeptMassymotionless，withhisteethlaidbarebyananxiousgrin.NotsotheSerang.Hewasnottroubledbyanyintellectualmis—

trustofhissenses.Ifhiscaptainchosetostirthemuditwaswell.Hehadknowninhislifewhitemenindulgeinoutbreaksequallystrange.Hewasonlygenuinelyinterestedtoseewhatwouldcomeofit.Atlast，appar—

entlysatisfied，hesteppedbackfromtherail.