The Ice Pilot

r, and found that the little skipper was reaching for the true great-circle route

pent much of his time driving the crew over the decks or keeping them polishin

d declared to Stirling. "Now that the skipper has take

s that had been rigged shut off most of the view of the taffrail and the jack-staff. A position in the crow's-nest, however, was a fair one to observe the after part of the Pole

d day of the outbound passage, lifted himself over the e

The wind was southerly and came over the port quarter in soft

n the edge of the crow's-nest and squinting aft to where

to do something desperate if Marr keeps changing his course. We're almost on the Japan route. Another half point will

his huge jaws on the plug and parting h

e. A gamming sp

used only by whalers. It meant visiting another sh

. A wild waste of harrowed waters, stirred into whitecaps by the southern breeze, extended to a linelike hor

eals?" conti

re going after th

he canvas shield was too high to allow a view of the taffrail and the cabin companion. Once only Stirling saw moving shadows against the light

without thanks. He stared at Stirling, lifted one huge leg over the edg

unning engines, gladdened his heart, and he began to whistle a little tune of the West coast. After all, he decided, the world was not such a bad place for a man to fight in and conquer. He had made many

natives, and decided to see the voyage out, earn every penny he could, then try for a ship of his own. Whalers would stake him to almost anything.

en Gate, a gleam of light was thrown upon

the ship with nothing more to do than watch the crew lol

e a closing hand. The wind had veered to the south and west, and cant

ling, turning toward Whitehouse, who had

near the Aleutians and close to the

aid with Yankee shrewdness. "I can smell my position

!" snorted the cockney

no sextant. All I need is

, then turned toward the after part of the ship. "Seen the skipper?" he a

and staring at the quarter-deck. "What

does. All spick and span. 'E was askin' about our position not a bell ago. 'E's

rather thick," s

s retired from view like a loidy of the

away and stared at Cushner. The Yankee hitched up his beard and thrust it unde

he said. "He's callin

the poop steps on the weather side. He mounted them and

u think?" a

r jaw tackle. Where did you

brought two dunnage bags and a whacking accent with him. Had papers, a

did he

ve thousand pounds. That's just wha

nder if he is under oblig

nybody anything. He owns the ship. He's got a right to whale and seal

r pelagic seals and

orking in th

ly at the watch on deck. He counted them, searching for the seaman w

r, I know them from hearsay. They're drifters. They expect nothing but an iron dollar. Larribee hasn't paid a whaling hand a cent over the legal

ty w

mps, and runners get that. They furnish a man with an outfit and a dunnage bag. The outfit consists of a 'donkey's breakfast

poor Jack," he said. "That's no more than right. The laws are all for the o

enough to get big wages and hold to the Union. The ones who suffer are boys like we got forwar

said. "Marr, or anybody else, could give them a good argument and they'd follow him to t

ht!" he admitted. "I wouldn't blame them, either. But you're here and