The Pearl Fishers

and the Pacific, heaving to the swell, la

doned in that world where nothing moved save the swell, and, far away, a frigate bird dri

r a water breaker and his head on his arm; but now, at the first touch of the s

y a great flash of energy that had been accumulating since he closed his eyes, he saw the whole of the events of the last three days in their entirety; he saw th

y the weather rail, and Coxon, the skipper, just come on board, wiping his face with a red bandanna handkerchief before giving orders to cast off from

ic, violent with the ruffling of the west wind and rolling toward

ar the Low Archipelago, with a trade room w

in; everything promised a prosperous voyage and a quick return, when on the ev

tack-it may last the voyage, it mayn't. Not that he's any way out of the common when he's on liquor, but it's never no good to have a man boozy out of port, so, like a good chap, lead him off it if he seems taken that way. He's my own brother-in-law, and as good as th

lieve in all men. He was only twenty-two, the son of a parson in Devonshire, educated up to fifteen at Blundell's School, set a

eck slightly thick of speech, and sometimes he had a stagger in his walk, and he would r

, nor did they know the fact that his condition

in a bottle, but in a jar, and it is the last thing in the way of intoxicants. Balloon

it had been brought on board the Cormorant by the Chin

, had gone into the hole where paint and varnish were stored, carrying a light. A few minutes later came a cry of fire. Coxon was the first man on deck. He saw in

to be done but t

he work of victualing and lowering the quarter boat, and they shoved off without him, so the three officers were left-Floyd, in the quarter-boat, and the sk

e smoke drove him back, the heat was terrific, and he cast off, rowing round to the windward side in the hope of boarding her there. As he pass

oner had made its call through the depths of the sea, and the sharks were assembling for the feast. Floyd waited. The whole of this terrible business ha

; she was burning now like a torch, and volumes

to see it as a picture. Floyd, gazing at it, watched while the flames, half invisible, like the ghosts of brightly spangled snakes, ran

ng about her, and then suddenly s

l that a vessel had been there with the exception of

and in the momentary twilight before the rush of the stars Floy

, and at dawn next day t

re he had not slept at all, and it was the return to normal conditions of his bra

epped the mast and hoisted the sail, which now[Pg 14] hu

it lay blazing in the sunshine, with not a sign of sail or wing on the dazzle and the blueness, an in

n to review his stores; he had taken stock of them twice in the last two days, but had you aske

oes, some tins of canned meat, but no can opener, and a few tins of condensed milk. So much for the provisions. There were also in the boat the ship's papers and a japanned tin box cont

rchief, a few loose matches, and a pipe and some tobacco. It was American navy twist, and he had nearly half a pou

the sheet aft, and took the tiller. It did not matter in the least where he steered, for Australia and China lay away to the west, the whole continent

ail to the wind,

cloud often hangs on the skirts of the Trades. Steering, Floyd could hear the tune of the water as it flapped on the boarding and rippled