The Ice Pilot

rail, squared his shoulders, and started toward the poop steps. The consciou

rt of the ship. A group of seamen were gathered in the waist. They were rece

amed upon such a ship. She was complete and yachtlike, and her deck house extended fore and aft between the main and mizzenmast. It was such a cabin as one

st out a hamlike hand. "Remember me?" he said, with a twinkle in his eyes. "I'm Cushner who took the Anderson expedition to t

his eyes in an attempt to recall a vague memory. Slowly

low?" Stirling motioned toward the second seaman who had descended the lee poop steps and

Marr of the Baffin Bay crowd. See, he's mixin' with th' men. No man leaves this ship, bu

need a

o! You can come

out thi

cht. She's fitted out for whaling and trading. Good food and all that. The ol

e the aft

puts me back to second mate. Then there's Sanderson and Manley-third and fourth. Besides, there'

ed his shoulders, and turned toward Cushner. "How about all thi

an is a part owner-it's a private venture. He and Whitehouse know their business. Just keep your tongue spliced and say nothing. The old man will b

k of the Pole Star, then came back to the

the entrance to the harbour. A salty gust stirred the standing rigging of the ship, and it filled the Ice Pilot's lungs with remembered calling. He br

aid, simply. "Let's go below and see Marr. It's six bells and more. Like as not he and I can get along. I ain't a hard m

r," said Cush

ail, and they descended by turning, in the manner of seamen the world over. Stirling remove

h draperies. The deck was covered with Persian carpets, while here and there-

aterooms fore and aft of the companion stairway. The round portholes, covere

d at shelves of morocco-bound books, their titles stamped in gold; he noted a baby-grand piano-the first

"Come on," he whispered, pointing toward an alcove b

He lifted his legs and dropped them to the deck, laid the book down, and rose with a quick thrust of his hand toward St

his trousers, and fingering his cap. He raised his chin and met Marr's eyes, studying the clean-cut nostrils of the little

aler and ice pilot in the game. I didn't recognize him in that room in Frisco. We landed a bigger fish

t it?" as

mind. The ship suited him, Cushner was a good mate, and

do better. I don't like the way you shipped part of you

ted a few more men, and just at the time I saw no other way