Morgan Robertson

“ You are setting an infamous example to those ignorant men forward, whose souls, in a measure, I feel accountable for."
"Well, I'll be damned!" said the mate, almost in a whisper.
"You certainly will be, if you persist in your evil ways," answered the captain, turning away.
"But what'll we do about that shark, cappen? He'll follow till he gets a man."
"Feed him," said the captain, turning half around. "Feed him until he is glutted, and he will leave us."
"Which man'll I chuck over first, cappen? Green? He's young and fat." ”

“ Good did his utmost, by admonition and ridicule, to counteract the influence of the two superstitious old croakers, Swanson and Munson, but with little success, even though backed by the lurid irreverence of Limerick, who was willing, he averred, to go down in a bosun's-chair and kill the shark with his one rubber boot.
Green made no secret of his terror, and whimpered unrebuked among men who, as a class, regard cowardice as the unpardonable sin. ”

“ Old Munson groaned a weary oath and said:
"He's come for one of us, sir. He'll follow along for seven days, and then he'll get one of us. Every seven days a man goes with a shark in the wake, sir. In my last ship—"
"Never mind your last ship, old man," interrupted the mate. "Take the wheel again; and don't stir the men up with shark yarns. I'll fix that gentleman."
He went forward and returned with a harpoon; and, having met Green on his way for a marline-spike, brought him along, and had him get out from the lazarette a coil of small rope, the end of which he fastened to the harpoon. ”

“ When the watch was called to the pumps at seven, or, by English reckoning, three bells, a man readily mounted the rail amidships to draw a bucket of water. It was Thompson, a peculiarly efficient man, steady of head and hand—one who, under ordinary circumstances, would not indulge in horseplay or bravado; but a shark under the stern is bad for nerves, and Thompson yielded. He lowered the draw-bucket with a flourish, tilted it to fill it, hove upward with all his strength, and actually pulled himself overboard. ”

“ Green did, and, dropping his spike, cleared away the rope named, while Mr. Good gently lowered the baited hook to the water. The shark backed away from it a foot or two as it floated astern, then, cautiously approaching it, nosed it a little, and nibbled the pork from the hook.
"Well, blast your heart and soul!" exclaimed the mate, in amazement. Then he hurled Green's marline-spike at him, but missed.
"What's going on here?" said a voice behind him, and Mr. Good turned to face the captain, a man the antithesis of himself in manner and appearance. The mate was old, bearded, bluff, and profane ”

“ And old man Munson told yarn after yarn of the turpitude of sharks. The others of both watches shared more or less evenly the sentiments of these four. Luckily, it was fine weather, and nothing but routine work demanded that men mount the rail, but a gale of wind with a demoralized crew would be a serious proposition; and though the mate mirthfully forgave the two old croakers, he pitilessly berated Green, and drove all hands, even the crippled Limerick, up the weather main rigging to the topmast head and down the lee side before allowing them to go to supper. ”

“ The captain turned squarely around.
"Feed him pork," he said, angrily. "Strike out a barrel of that fat Frisco pork in the 'tween-deck, and feed him until he is satisfied."
"It's down under three tiers o' lime-barrels, sir. It'll take the whole watch half a day to get at it. Won't live chickens from the coop suit him better? I've plenty other work for the men."
"Do as I tell you, Mr. Good," said the captain, sternly.
"Aye, aye, sir!" loudly answered Mr. Good. "I can do that, cappen."
As the mate had predicted, it took a half-day to get out a barrel of pork ”

“ They do say that quicklime be a powerful counter-ir-rytant. Maybe he got some lime wid his pork."
"Will you shut your jaw?" said Mr. Good, fiercely. Then, drawing near to the man, the last of the crew on the poop, he said in his ear: "Go down forrard with a broom and sweep up all that lime scattered around. I didn't have time. And keep your damn mouth shut, d'you hear?"
"Aye, aye, sir!" answered Limerick, cheerfully, as he turned away. "But d'ye know, Mr. Good, I feel powerful sorry fur the shark. I know just how he felt, sir." ”

“ The result was that his feet, moist with perspiration, slaked the loose lime scattered around from the leaky barrels, and soon became so painful that he pulled the boots on for protection. But the lime still ate into his skin, and he was forced to come up on deck, where he not only rinsed his feet in salt water, but rinsed out his boots with fresh. Then, after he had donned suitable foot-gear, he hung his boots on the jib guys to dry, and in doing so one went overboard. The shark got the boot ”

“ Few captains like such comparisons, especially if they be young and sons of owners. This one was very properly incensed.
"I care nothing for that, Mr. Good," he said, sharply. "I forbid you to torture that poor fish any more. ”