Ben Ames Williams

“ You’re mate of the Nathan Ross and I’m proud to have you....”
“I am captain of the Nathan Ross,” said Joel. “And you are my brother, and a—mutineer. Give me the guns.”
Mark threw up his hand angrily. “You’ll not hear reason. Then—go below, and stay there. You....”
There are few men who can stand flat-footed and still hit a crushing blow; but Joel did just this. When Mark began to speak, Joel’s hands had been hanging limply at his sides. On Mark’s last word, Joel’s right hand whipped up as smoothly as a whip snaps; and it smacked on Mark’s lean jaw with much the sound a whip makes. ”

“ Morrell urged.
“’Tis far out of our proper way. Wasted time. And—the men should be thinking of oil, not of pearls.”
Mark laughed. “That may be,” he agreed. “But the men’s thoughts are already on the pearls. They’ve no mind for whaling, Joel. They’ve no mind for it.”
“I’m doubtful that what you say is true.”
His brother snapped angrily: “Do you call me liar?”
“No,” said Joel gently. “You were never one to lie, Mark.” And Priss, listening, winced at the thing that was like apology in his tone. She heard Mark laugh again, aloud; and she heard the fat chuckle of Jim Finch. ”

“ If Mark Shore lived, and wished to find his ship again, he’d have found her in a week. If he were dead ... there was no need of the time wasted.”
“Nevertheless,” said Joel quietly, “James Finch has my thanks for his search; and I’m no mind to do him a harm, or to step into his shoes.”
Asa smiled grimly. “Ye’re over considerate,” he said. “Jim Finch was your brother’s man, and a very loyal one. As long as he is another’s man, he is content. But he has no want to be his own master and the master of a ship, and of men. ”

“ To face these men stood Joel. For an instant, he was alone. Then, without word, old Aaron took his stand beside his captain. Aaron held gripped in both hands an adze. Its edge was sharp enough to slice hard wood like cheese.... And at Joel’s other side, the cook. A round man, with greasy traces of his craft upon his countenance. He carried a heavy cleaver. There is an ancient feud between galley and fo’c’s’le; and the men greeting the cook’s coming with a hungry cry of delight.... ”

“ Joel did not speak; and Priss, trembling against the door, thought bitterly: “He’s afraid.... He said, himself, that he is afraid....”
Dick Morrell begged eagerly: “Please, Captain Shore. There’s a fortune for all of us. Mr. Worthen would tell you to do it....”
Joel said then: “I told Mark Shore in the beginning that I would not risk my ship. The enterprise is not lawful. The pearls were stolen in the beginning; murder hung around them. Bad luck would follow them—and there are blacks on the island to prevent our finding them, in any case.” ”

“ They sat down at table. Mrs. Holt at one end, her husband—he was a big man, an old sea captain, and full of yarns as a knitting bag—at the other; and Rachel at one side, facing Priss and Joel. Joel’s ship had come in only that day; the Nathan Ross had been in port for weeks. So the whole town knew Mark Shore’s story. They spoke of it now, and Joel told them what he knew.... Rachel wondered if there was any chance that Mark might still be alive. Her father broke in with a story of Mark’s first cruise, when the boy had saved a man’s life by his quickness with the hatchet on the racing line. ”

“ Mark got up, laughed. “He’s bad company, Priss,” he told her. “Come on deck with me.”
She rose, readily enough; and they went out through the main cabin, and up the companionway. Joel watched them go. They left open the door into the cabin, and he heard Varde and Finch, at the table there, talking in husky whispers.... It was so, he knew, over the whole ship. Everywhere, the men were whispering.... There hung over the Nathan Ross a cloud as definite as a man’s hand; and every man scowled—save Mark Shore. Mark smiled with malicious delight at the gathering storm he had provoked.... ”

“ For they struck fish; and day after day they hung idle on the waves while the trypots boiled; and day after day they loitered on good whaling grounds, when the boats were out thrice and four times between sun’s rise and set. If Joel was impatient, he gave no sign. If his desires would have made him hasten on, his duty held him here, where rich catches waited for the taking; and while there were fish to be taken, he would not leave them behind.
Priscilla hated it. She hated the grime, and the smoke, and the smell of boiling oil ”

“ Fetcher’s woman went ashore to find him and never came back. And I decided it was time for me to go away from that place. The pagans were dying in me. I did not like that quiet little island any more.
“But the next morning, when I looked out beyond the lagoon, another schooner was coming in. So I was uncomfortable with Fetcher’s pearls, as well as mine, in my pocket. There are some hard men in these seas, Joel; and I knew none of them would treasure me above my pearls. So I planned a story of misfortune, and I went ashore to hide my pearls under a rock. ”

“ Joel shook his head. “Keep silent about the matter, Finch.”
Finch slowly bowed his head, and he smirked respectfully. “Very well, Captain Shore,” he agreed. “You always know best, sir.”
He turned away; and after a little Mark said softly: “You have him well trained, Joel. Like a little dog.... I wonder that you can handle men so....”
Two days later, Joel knew that either Finch or Mark had told the tale anew. Young Dick Morrell came to him with shining eyes. “Is it true, sir, that we’re going after the pearls your brother hid?” he asked. “I just heard....” ”

“ Joel had been watching the two. He saw Finch now, standing just forward of the boat house with flushed cheeks and eyes fixed and hands twitching. The big man was powerfully moved by something.... “What is it that’s got him?” Joel asked.
“I’ve told him about the pearls,” Mark chuckled. “He’s wild to be after them....”
Joel turned on his brother hotly. “You’re mad, Mark,” he snapped. “That is no word to be loose in the ship.”
“I’ve but told Finch,” Mark protested. “It’s mirthful to watch the man wiggle.” ”

“ Mark mocked him. “Ask the men, is it?” he exclaimed. “Let them vote, you’ll be saying. Are you master of the ship, man; or just first selectman, that you’d call a town meeting on the high seas?”
“I’ll talk with the men,” said Joel stubbornly.
Varde strode forward angrily. “You’ll talk with us,” he said. “Yes or no. Now. What is it?”
They were in the main cabin. Joel looked at Varde steadily for an instant; then he said: “I’m going on deck. You’ll come....”
Priss, in the door of the after cabin, a frightened and trembling little figure, called to him: “Joel. Joel. Don’t....” ”

“ Rachel’s sister, Priscilla, was a gay and careless child. She was six years younger than Joel, and she had acquired in babyhood the habit of thinking Joel the most wonderful created thing. Their yards adjoined; and she was the baby of her family, and he of his. Thus the big boy and the little girl had always been comrades and allies against the world. Before Joel first went to sea, as ship’s boy, the two had decided they would some day be married.... ”

“ They left Trinidad behind them, and shouldered their way southward, the blunt bow of the Nathan Ross battering the seas. And they came to the Straits, and worked in, and made their westing day by day, while little Priss, 63 wide-eyed on the deck, watched the gaunt cliffs past whose wave-gnawed feet they stole. And so at last the Pacific opened out before them, and they caught the winds, and worked toward Easter Island.
But their progress was slow. To men unschooled in the patience of the whaling trade, it would have been insufferably slow. ”

“ He went forward among the men to greet old friends and meet new ones, and came back and complimented Joel on the quality of his crew. “You’ve made good men of them,” he said. “Those that weren’t good men before.”
He listened, with a smile half contemptuous, to Jim Finch’s somewhat slavish phrases of welcome and admiration; and he talked with Varde, the morose second mate, so gayly that even Varde was cozened at last into a grin. Old Hooper was pathetically glad to see him. Hooper had been mate of the ship on which Mark started out as a boy ”

“ Within the week, the whole ship knew the story. Old Aaron Burnham, repairing a bunk in the fo’c’s’le, heard the men whispering the thing among themselves. “Tongues hissing like little serpents, sir,” he told Joel, in the cabin that night. “All of pearls, and women, and the like.... And a shine in their eyes....”
“Thanks, Aaron,” Joel said. “I’m sorry the men know....” 131
“Aye, they know. Be sure of that,” Aaron repeated, with bobbing head. “And they’re roused by what they know. Some say you’re going after the pearls, and aim to fraud them of their lay. ”

“ Asa got up awkwardly, waved his hand. “We’re off the course, Joel. What about the Nathan Ross? Ready for sea, come Tuesday. I’m not one to press her on any man, unwilling. Say your say, man. Do you take her? Or no?” 26
Joel drew slowly once more upon his pipe. “If I take her,” he said, “we’ll work the Gilberts first of all, and try once again for a sign of my brother Mark.”
Asa jerked his head. “So you pick up any oil that comes your way, I’ve no objection,” he agreed. “Matter of fact, that’s the best thing to do. Mark may yet live.” ”

“ Mark laughed, a soft and throaty laugh. “You would not, Joel. You would not. For you never felt an overwhelming notion that you must dance in the moon upon the sand. You’ve never felt that, Joel; and—I have.”
“I’m not a hand for dancing,” said Joel.
Mark seemed to forget that his brother sat beside him. His eyes became misty and thoughtful, as though he were living over again the days of which he spoke. “Mind, Joel,” he said, “there’s a pagan in every man of us. And 91 there’s two pagans in some of us. And I’m minded, Joel, that there are three of them in me. ”

“ Finch shook his head. He was a big, laughing man with soft, fat cheeks. “No, sir,” he declared. “It’s yours, and welcome. Your brother was a man; and you’ve the look of another, sir.” 28
Joel frowned. He was uncomfortable; he had an angry feeling that Finch was too amiable. But he said no more, and Finch went back to the ship, and Asa and Joel continued with their task.
While they worked, the afternoon sun drifted down the western sky till its level rays were flame lances laid across the harbor. ”

“ But after supper, he went on deck with Finch, and Joel and Priss sat in the cabin astern for a while; and Joel wrote up, in the ship’s log, the story of his brother’s return. Priss read it over his shoulder, and afterwards she clung close to Joel. “He’s a terribly—overwhelming man, isn’t he?” she whispered.
Joel looked down at her, and smiled thoughtfully. “Aye, Mark’s a big man,” he agreed. “Big—in many ways. But—you’ll be used to him presently, Priss.” ”

“ Mark chuckled unpleasantly. “I’m minded of what is written, here and there, in the ‘Log 119 of the House of Shore,’” he said, half to himself. And he quoted: “‘All the brothers were valiant....’ There’s more to that, Joel. ‘And all the sisters virtuous.’ I had not known we had sisters—but it seems you’re one, boy. Not valiant, by your own admission; but at least you’re fairly virtuous.”
Joel paid no heed to the taunt. “Asa Worthen likes care taken of his ship,” he said, half to himself. “I’m thinking he would not think well of this.... He’s not a man to gamble....” ”

“ There were, at that moment, about a dozen 198 of the men still on their feet; but in the instant of their paralyzed dismay, two things struck them; two furies ... Dick Morrell, tottering on unsteady feet, brandishing a razor-tipped lance full ten feet long. He came upon the men from the flank, shouting; and Joel, when he saw his brother fall, left his shelter in the galley door and swept upon them. The fat cook, with the knife, fought nobly at his side. ”

“ The water slapped the broad stern of the ship beneath them, and Joel’s pipe was gurgling. There was no other sound. Little Priss, nails biting her palms, thought she would stream if the silence held an instant more.... 110
But Mark laughed softly, and went on.
“Fetcher and I worked smoothly together,” he said. “The little man was very pleasant and affable; and I met him half way. The blacks brought up the shells, and we idled through the days, and played cards at night. We divided the take, each day; so our stakes ran fairly high. But luck has a way of balancing. ”

“ The discovery of Aaron’s loyalty had been immensely heartening to Joel. If Aaron were loyal, there might be others.... Must be.... Not all men are false....
He wondered who they would be; he went over the men, one by one, from mate to humblest foremast hand. Finch and Varde were surely against him. Old Hooper—he and Aaron were cronies, and the other mates had left Hooper somewhat out of their movements thus far. Old Hooper might be, give him his chance, on Joel’s side....
Old Hooper, and Aaron. Two. Dick Morrell? A boy, hot with the wonder and glamor of Mark’s tale. ”

“ Joel, the Nathan Ross will be ready for sea in five days. She’s stout, her timbers are good and her tackle is strong. She’s a lucky ship. The oil swims after her across the broad sea, and begs to be taken. She’s my pet ship, Joel, as you know; and she’s uncommon well fitted. Mark had her. ”

“ Varde said sullenly. “There’s too much words and words.... You’ll answer now.”
“I’ll answer in the morning,” Joel repeated, as though he had not heard Varde. “In the morning. And—for now—I’ll bid you good night, gentlemen.”
Mark chuckled. “There’s one matter, Joel. You’ve two rifles and a pair of revolvers in the lockfast by your cabin there. I’ll take 152 them—to avoid that blood-spilling you mention.”
Priss held her breath, listening.... But Joel said readily: “Yes. Here is the key, Mark. And—I hold you responsible for the weapons.” ”

“ He should have filled those last casks. ’Tis in them the profit lies.” He shook his head sorrowfully. “No, Jim Finch will not do. He is a good man—under another man. But he has not the spine that stands alone. When Mark Shore was gone ... Jim had no thought but to throw the try works overside and scurry hitherward as though he feared to be out upon the seas alone.”
Joel puffed thrice at his pipe. Then: “You said this morning that for three weeks 23 he hunted Mark, up and down the Gilbert Islands.” ”

“ His shoulders shook with the sudden surge of his desire to grip Mark’s lean throat.... Ashore, he would have done so. But as things were, the ship was his first charge; and a break with Mark would precipitate the thing that menaced the ship.... He could not fight Mark without risking the Nathan Ross; and he could not risk the Nathan Ross. Not even.... His head dropped for an instant in his arms, and then he got up quickly, and shook himself, and set his lips.... No man aboard must see the trouble in his heart....
He went through the main cabin, and climbed to the deck. ”

“ Mark laughed aloud. “My dear Priss,” he said, in the elder-brother manner he affected toward her. “My dear Priss, the South Sea Islands are no place for a white man, especially when he is alone. I’m glad to get back in the smell of oil, with an honest deck underfoot. ”