John Fleming Wilson

“ It was mid-afternoon, and Galbraith was on watch, Buxton was asleep in the saloon, and I was reading a book. I came on deck with a jump, Buxton hard at my heels. Galbraith was staring down at the engineer, flinging questions at him which that scalded artisan answered with groans and tossings. It did not take us long to estimate the damage. It was irreparable. The water was pouring in the broken stern-bearings, flooding the engines. In time the Patrick Dare would sink. True, she might live for a day. She might live for a week, could we get the pumps going. ”

“ The big lesson had been written before me—by James Galbraith, A. B. Because he had learned this, and lived it, his pocket bulged with insignificant papers, discharges from a hundred ships that he had served well. Now, at the end of a long life, he passed on to me the duty of earning my wage, handing over to me the sum of his laborious toil: to take my ship to its port.
"I ORDERED BUXTON TO GET THE BOATS READY" "It is a hard lesson. You will find many who value a human life above all else. That is right and proper. ”

“ He was a delicate-fingered Japanese, quite alert and businesslike. 'You had better sail immediately,' he told me. 'The ice will soon freeze here. You will make the voyage in nineteen days. Leave to-morrow. That will get you into Honolulu on Wednesday, the thirtieth of November. See?' He laid it out for me with his pencil on the blotter that lay on the counter. And when he was done, he went and counted out a small bag of gold coin and handed that to me. 'For the ship's expenses. I have engaged a crew. The engineer is an American; the mate also. ”

“ They found us a place to discharge our coal, and we set to work, sweating through the short, chilly days, up to our eyes in dust and grime. I didn't like the job. We of the second mess used to complain bitterly at night. Not where the old man could hear us, though. We were afraid of him. One morning the captain came and called me up out of the 'tween-decks. 'Do you want to take the Patrick Dare to Honolulu?' he asked me. 'A Japanese has bought her and loaded her with stuff for his firm down there. There isn't a man in port who can or will take her out. ”

“ Price went on imperturbably.
"My heavens, Price, what sort of a machine-made man are you, anyway?" came the cross demand. "Would you have had the man go down with an old tub like the Quickstep? Ain't one man's life worth more than ten Quicksteps? ”

“ We might lie there a month without sighting a sail.
"'NOBODY BUT A HEATHEN WOULD SEND SUCH A CRAFT TO SEA'" "The poor old craft settled very gradually, by the stern. Now and then she rolled in a queer, distressing way. Buxton passed and repassed with anxious face. The engineer was squatted on the deck, oiling his burns and wrapping his arms and neck with waste. Galbraith was on the bridge, silent and apparently asleep, so far as any comprehension of what had happened was concerned. ”

“ He took off his cap. and I saw that his hair was thick and gray. But he gave every appearance of being too old to work. I told him so.
"'I've got good discharges, sir,' he croaked, reaching into some huge pocket and dragging out a tremendous book of them. 'All V. G., sir.'
"Now, I was in a hurry. However, it suddenly ran through my mind that here was an old seaman who might have to starve all winter if he didn't get a ship for the outside. I knew the Ardmore wouldn't take him, and the only other craft in port was the American ship Charles F. Sargent. ”

“ For two days we enjoyed it, and at the end of that time I was slightly astonished to find that it had ceased to be a joke. Old Galbraith was a good officer. He was far better than Buxton. He handled the crew in an easy, masterful style that even I envied. And the Japs seemed perfectly satisfied to jump when he croaked at them. Now and again he would say in all seriousness to me, 'I've never been an officer, sir, before. I've always been an A. B., not having the learning required. My discharges will show that I have done my duty well, sir.' And I'd respond, 'You are doing all right, Mr. ”

“ When he had braced it to suit him, he croaked out. 'That'll hold a while. Now let's get them pumps a-going.' He saw me and waved his hand respectfully. 'She was leaking down this tunnel over the shaft, sir. ”