The Mountains

re you can hear more tongues than at Port Said, see stranger sights, and meet adventure with the joyous certainty of mediaeval times. I'd been down there hunting up a man reported,

im, nor trust him to the extent of a telegram East. Wharf-rat la

't pass men in narrow places until you have reconnoitered a little. I pulled up, thankin

. It was picturesque stuff for my purpose, but wasn't in it with what the old fellow had really done. He showed me--well, that doesn't matter. The point is, that good, staid, self-centred, or r

, whichever you please, was all arouse

o grotesque was the effect of this treble from a bulk so squat and br

istake on that. I'm her m

ld you might rent he

tto. "Well, that--hell, yes, I

was plainly at the end of

mething more definite, the fa

o? What for? Who

merhorn," the l

about you i

en haf you

e and the cook

could g

you want-

o leaf to

ay, let's not hang out here in this run of darkness. Co

roused--Dr. Schermerhorn's movements are u

with some haste, "this iss w

itude of close attention. After a p

e we

er not

w long a

oner and your crew as-lon

ng's that li

onths; maybe s

own cruise. See here, an

l! It iss simply b

ed the other easily, "only

hall not

the assurance. "Them Jap gunboats is getting pretty hard

-how mooch iss

man's thoughts as he ponde

e we're going, when we're going to get back,--and them gunbo

l also give your crew double wages. Bud I want goot

s! They'd go to hel

h. Tell them it iss for me, Brovisions for th

at eight in

ome effects in

ter hes

do I know it's all right? Maybe b

be. My plan

l thing to pay

old me. I will make you a check. Let

given my eye teeth, though, to have gathered the name of the schooner, or that of her master. As it was, I hung around until the tw

n who were sitting at the

, shoving me my

em?" I i

e a sort of corn doctor or corner spell-binder. Oth

nd dodged out again, le

o the street the two men had disappeared. I s

the public; and the public at that time was vastly interested in Dr. Schermerhorn. I, in common with the rest of the world, had imagined him anchored safely in Philadelphia, immersed in

he supplies were to be purchased. Adams & Marsh are a large firm, and cautious. I knew better than to make direct inquiries, or to appear in the salesroom. But by hanging around the door of the shipping room I soon ha

be quite sure. Here, however, was a schooner--of abo

th a crew of four and the cook; but he did. The deck looked as though it had been holystoned every morning by a crew of jackies; the stays were whipped and tarred, the mast new-slushed, and every foot of

dores were hustling every sort of provisions, supplies, stock, spars, lines and canvas down into the hold. It was a rush job, and that mate was having his hands full. I didn't wonder at his lan

s shoulders were bowed and enormous. His arms hung like a gorilla's, palms turned slightly outwards. On his head was jammed a linen boating hat that had once been white; gaping away from his hairy chest was a faded dingy chec

ss the waist of the ship, and ascended to the quarter-deck where the mate stood leaning over the rail and uttering directed curses from between sweat-beaded lips. There the big man roamed a

uch discrepancies seem to indicate exceptional characters. As I watched him, his whole frame stiffened. The long gorilla arms contracted, the hairy head sunk forward in the tensen

t with an oath of inquiry and pain. I could hear one side of what followed. The captain's high-pitched

of the ship, you hound of h

prised--for

g? Just about six seconds! There and back! You--" I won't bother with all the epithets, although by now I know Captain Selover's vocabulary f

from th

a swab and do it yourself. You'll get a hand swab and get

aid someth

waist ain't, and nobody but a damn misbegotten son-of-a-sea-lawyer would spit on deck anyhow!" From this C

t. Why, the ship was not yet at sea, and in all the clutter of charging. He began to answer back. In a moment it was a quarrel. Abruptly it was a fight. The mate marked Selover beneath the left eye. The captain with

language--projected through an open port-hole. This in turn ceased. The captain reappeared with a pail and brush, scrubbed feverishly at the offending spot, mopped it dry with that

e, thought better of it, and began to pick up his effects, muttering savagely

by three others. Ignorant as I was of the requirements of a scientist, my common sense told me this could be no exploring outfit. I revised my first intention of going to the club, and bought a sandwich or two at the corner coffee

you more, followed by Dr. Schermerhorn. The young man carried only a light leather "serviette," such as students use abroad; while the doctor fair

he dock men, who ran fo

ou, boss?" he asked, at th

gure seemed fairly t

ed. "It iss not

clutching the chest close. At

. We're busy, you see. Let me carry your chest f

insisted the captain. "

atically ordered the scien

s load. The young man remained on deck to superintend the

borate nature of his preparations, the evident secrecy of the expedition as evidenced by the fact that he had negotiated for the vessel only the day before setting sail, the importance of personal supervision as proved by the fact that he--notoriously impractical in practical matters, and notorious

d a mate

ked me

admitted. "Whe

here,"

herwise he showed no sign of

Great Lakes--I always carry that sort of document on the chance that it may come

thes are too good. That's all right. They're all I have that are good. I'm br

," he squeaked. "Wher

ral Keays and Captain Arnold impressed him. He stared a

about this?" he

ber I had overheard the night before his statement of

ured. "Plain desertion

ned ins

mate; and a naval man--even if he

our decks, anyway,"

d about the mouth. This I subsequent

hat, eh?"

ring down the police and d

with a cunning t

e any police. He had his advance money, an

rise at the wages. The captain guardedly

ort?" I asked

ade out for Honol

ed to sign

you wouldn't make them out in

laughed, "I sa

" said I. "I've got to

ding," said he. "Still, I can ge

mbered that I was supposed t

me ten

dn't do this to everybody. But a naval m

ere," I as

close inspection. I could get along perfectly well without the glasses, so I discarded them. I had my hair cut rather close. When I had put on sea boots, blue trousers and s

not whither, to be gone I knew not for how long, and pledged to