G. B. Lancaster

“ It is possible that it may mean murder to someone."
"I guess not," said Kingdom composedly. "They know me."
They did know him. But he knew them—knew the reckless Dessin, and the wild-tempered Potts and the sullen, savage Mole. He had defied them and his riff-raff of a crew too often not to know them. The risk was tremendous—far greater than the captain of the gunboat guessed. But Kingdom had to take it. He had to save his contraband and his name and his hold on men. ”

“ Mole might possibly turn King's evidence out of sheer spite.
Here Grace came with a troubled face in search of him.
"You won't really go aboard alone, will you?" he asked.
"Sure." Kingdom poked down his pipe with a deliberate finger.
"There'll be the devil to pay if you do, bedad."
"Likely. It's not me who will pay him, though."
"Kingdom, they can't let you boss them again. They'll have to kick for their credit's sake."
"And what about mine?" Kingdom sat up slowly, with his steady eyes burning on the younger man. "Can't you see where I stand? I don't handle the kind of crew you do. ”

“ He denied knowledge of Charlie or anyone else, and Kingdom ordered him down to the boat, and proceeded on his way.
It was midnight before he had the crew together and the little steam-cutter snoring smoothly through the warm sea, with phosphorescence streaming in her wake. Then he called his officers into the mess-cabin and shut the door, standing up against it.
"I have just a few words to say to you, gentlemen," he said. "The next time you give my crew liquor, you will do it with my permission, and that will be a long day. If I knew which man it was, I'd sack him. ”

“ If the Rook caught that cargo, he would have died dishonoured. Very many times in his life he had been in a tight place, but the odds had never been so heavily against him as now. Dessin laughed. His was a like spirit to Kingdom's own, and Kingdom sorrowed now that he had chosen him because of it.
"Oh, if she comes, she comes. We'll be in Suva first, once we've fixed you. And that won't be long now. There—I told you."
A sharp whistle shrilled, and Mole turned hurriedly and went out. Presently the engines shuddered, stopped, and the Deva lay in the wash. ”

“ I told you we'd make a mess of it."
"Speak for yourself, Potts." The first mate lit his pipe with deliberation, puffing out his sentences brokenly. "I tell you we're all right. They'll stand by us to a man. They'll stand by us, let us do as we like with the cap'n. I reckon as we're bound for more'n ten per cent. on the cargo next trip."
"Oh, you're always reckoning on something," said Potts sullenly, "but none of us can ever reckon on what he'll do or won't do."
Kingdom usually knew himself. He had said that he would be in Sydney before the Rook, and he was. ”

“ Hill was head of the Customs in Suva. But more spirits had been drunk there lately than had paid legitimate duty, and Hill was sore.
"I could ask questions myself, if that would do any good," he retorted.
"Exactly," returned Kingdom. "But it wouldn't." He came down three steps and stood on the pavement. "You pull out for Sydney in the morning, don't you, Grace?" he asked. "Well, I start to-night, and I'll meet you inside the Heads next week. So long! So long, you fellows! I'll be around again soon, for sure." ”

“ Ships skirting that might see the smoke if he damped and blackened it with seaweed. But they were more likely to think that it came from the stack of some other vessel. No, he dared not risk that. He must wait till night, and take his chance with a fire on the highest peak of his islet. ”