Stirling

“ Stirling glanced aft to where the Russian at the wheel was taking his orders from the leader who had sprung upon the weather rail and was holding to the mizzen shrouds.
The chance for escape from the crow's-nest had come. The mainsail hung from the main yard, and its flapping canvas would afford some slight shelter. Stirling weighed the opportunity and prepared to make the effort. The open main hatch invited with its glimpse of boxes and scattered trade stuff. ”

“ Stirling laughed defiantly. He feared the croaking sound of his own voice, so parched and dry was his throat. He pocketed the revolver, grasped the edge of the hatch, swinging out and into the sheer. His feet crushed a box as he landed in the hold. He straightened himself, raised his arms, and, blinking in the sudden darkness, stumbled aft toward the lazaret, and the way to the cabin where the girl was quartered. ”

“ The leader lowered his chart and turned.
"You're going to your doom!" declared Stirling. "Abandon this ship and you are lost. There is no way to civilization by the land route!" He pointed a mittened finger toward the island and the magnetic north.
The leader flushed and struck the chart with a sharp blow, sprang from the sled, and hurried aft. Stirling met him with a cold smile. "I told you," he said, "that there is no way. No way! Do you understand that?"
"There is a——"
Stirling thrust the leader from the quarter-deck, then turned and strode to the companion. ”

“ And he whipped his son’s horse to the right, and to the left he slashed the horse of Two Whistles, and, whirling the leather quirt, drove them cowed before him and out of the stream, with never a look or word to the white men. He crossed the sandy margin, and as a man drives steers to the corral, striking spurs to his horse and following the frightened animals close when they would twist aside, so did old Pounded Meat herd his son down the valley.
“Useful old man,” remarked Stirling; “and brings up his children carefully. Let’s get these prisoners along.” ”

“ Then he sat down at his desk and wrote on another sheet:
DEAR MISS D’ALLOI:
I will defend you faithfully and always.
PETER STIRLING
“That isn’t what I said,” remarked Miss D’Alloi. “But I suppose it will have to do.”
“You forget one important thing.”
“What is that?”
“My retaining fee.”
“Oh, dear,” sighed Leonore. “My allowance is nearly gone. Don’t you ever do work for very, very poor people, for nothing?”
“Not if their poverty is pretence.”
“Oh, but mine isn’t. Really. See. Here is my purse. Look for yourself. That’s all I shall have till the first of the month.” ”

“ That a man who was about to take his life should have written them is one of the strangest cases of artistic absorption I know of in literature. But Arthur Stirling was a man lost in his art just so—so full of it, so drunk with it, that nothing in life had other meaning to him. ”

“ The Pole Star was the first ship of the season, and the natives welcomed it with a great noise. Chiefs were hastily paddled out, and mounted the quarter-deck to gather about Marr and Whitehouse. Stirling attended to the throng which swarmed up the anchor chain and forepeak. Native girls, old women, men and children brought trade stuff of varied character—salmon, walrus tusks, small whalebone, carved idols, feather coats, skin caps, and hoods.
A large umiak appeared from the ice of the strait, and in its bow stood a chief, who called Stirling's name. ”

“ Mrs. Stirling was not what we should call a “lady,” yet few of those who rank as such, would have been as considerate or tender of Peter’s trouble, if the power had been given them to lay it bare. Love, sympathy, unselfishness and forbearance are not bad equivalents for breeding and etiquette, and have the additional advantage of meeting new and unusual conditions which sometimes occur to even the most conventional.
One hope did come to her, “Perhaps, now that”—and Mrs. Stirling left “that” blank even in her thoughts; “now my boy, my Peter, will not be so set on going to New York.” ”

“ Her footfalls sounded along the deck, died away aft, and there came then the heavier feet of a sailor. He rounded the corner of the galley house, peered over the rail to the north and east, and then strode by Stirling.
A heavy capstan bar was over his shoulder, an open knife gleamed from his belt, his jaw was set and thrust slightly outward. Stirling recognized in him one of the Frisco dock rats who had been most aggressive in the attack when Whitehouse had hurled the belaying pin.
Stirling turned and glanced at the panels of the door; they were not strong. ”

“ Here they turned and watched the ship as if loath to give it up.
The girl climbed swiftly to the quarter-deck to Stirling's side.
"Seven stayed," she said, breathlessly. "Seven, and the man from San Francisco. Didn't I do well?"
Stirling smiled down upon her and touched his cap. "Yes, little captain," he said, gallantly. "You did fine! Tell Slim and four of the squad—I guess you can make the Russians understand—to jump below and get steam on in the boilers. Tell the men to bank the fires when they get well started." ”

“ And as we are all agreed that Stirling is somewhat lacking in romance, he will not get a corresponding pleasure from the longer stroll to reward him for that. There, ladies and gentlemen, that is a rarebit that will melt in your mouth, and make the absent ones regret their foolishness. ”

“ Stirling—may I call you Peter?—thank you. Peter, I have the finest, noblest husband that ever lived! He is everything that is good and kind!” Mrs. D’Alloi’s face lighted up with happiness and tenderness. ”

“ Tell them you're with me as well as they are. This man Stirling is trying to cheat us out of fair game. He'll be running a Sunday school, next. I know his breed—afraid of the law! What law is north of 53?"
"Heaven's law!" Stirling said, sincerely. "You won't raid the rookeries if I can prevent it. ”

“ Stirling, but I shan’t let you talk to her before dinner. Look about you and take your choice of whom you would like to meet?’ Chum gave one agonized look round the room. There wasn’t a woman over twenty-five in sight! And what do you think the wily old fox said? Call him simple! Not by a circumstance! A society beau couldn’t have done it better. ”

“ Stirling scribbled an order on the back of a shipping master's card. He passed it over to Marr, who touched a button at the end of the piano. A negro, sleepy-eyed and curious, thrust a kinky head through an after doorway.
Marr stepped over the rugs and whispered his instructions. Stirling, whose ears were sharp, caught a command to wait on shore for somebody. This order was repeated.
The negro vanished, and Marr paced athwart the ship. Wheeling suddenly, he listened with his ear cocked toward the deck beams. A shuffling of feet sounded overhead as men sprang down from the rail. ”

“ New York almost came to a standstill as order and anarchy faced each other.
While these antagonistic forces still gathered, a man who had been yelling to his own coterie of listeners in that dense crowd, extracted himself, and limped towards Peter.
“Mr. Stirling,” he shouted, “come out from those murderers. I want to tell you something.”
Peter went forward. “What is it, Podds?” he asked.
Podds dropped his voice. “We’re out for blood to-day. But I don’t want yours, if you do murder my fellow-men. Get away from here, quick. Hide yourself before the people rise in their might.” ”

“ Peter told her. “I try to like them.”
Miss De Voe looked puzzled.
“Don’t,” said Mr. Ogden. “I tried once, when I first began. But it’s much easier to notice what women say, and answer ‘yes’ and ‘no’ at the right points.”
Peter looked puzzled.
“Nonsense, Lispenard,” said Miss De Voe. “He’s really one of the best connoisseurs I know, Mr. Stirling.”
“There,” said Lispenard. “You see. Only agree with people, and they think you know everything.” ”

“ Stirling forgot the massacre aboard the Pole Star. He never had sided with the former crew; and the revolutionists, with their ignorance of the ice, were less to be feared. They had seized a ship, were running amuck, but at least had the virtue of motion. Their end might come in a score of ways, and it was to Stirling's interest to see that the ship remained afloat. There were the girl and Marr and the Frisco dock rat to consider. ”

“ Many tales of James V.’s adventures in disguise must at one time have been current in the neighbourhood of Stirling, but unfortunately most of them have passed beyond recall. One story concerning the Gudeman of Ballengeich runs, however, as follows: Once when the Court was in residence at Stirling Buchanan of Arnprior commanded a carrier, who was journeying from the Lennox with commodities for the royal household, to leave him the entire load, for which a just price would be given. ”

“ Then commotion arose. The Squire and his friend Jacobson were like two demented wild Indians, uncertain what was best to be done to entrap the villains. The gig was ordered away again.
Some time passed in discussion. In these moments of excitement one cannot always bring one’s keenest wits to the fore. Charles Stirling offered to go out and reconnoitre; we, you may be quite sure, were eager to second him. I went with Charles Stirling one way; Tod and Harry Dene went another—leaving the Squire and Mr. Jacobson at the gate, listening for shots, and conferring in whispers with old Jones. ”

“ Stirling such brief notice, but she leaves New York on Thursday.”
As Peter walked up town that morning, he was a little surprised that he was so cool over his intended call. In a few minutes he would be in the presence of a lady, the firmness of whose handwriting indicated that she was not yet decrepit. Three years ago such a prospect would have been replete with terror to him. Down to that—that week at the Pierce’s, he had never gone to a place where he expected to “encounter” (for that was the word he formerly used) women without dread. ”

“ And the whole was given value by the last two lines, which read, “Respectfully submitted, Peter Stirling.” Peter’s name had value at the bottom of a legal opinion, or a check, if nowhere else.
“Look, Mr. Moriarty,” cried Leonore, too full of happiness over this decision of her nationality not to wish for some one with whom to share it, “I’ve always thought I was French—though I didn’t feel so a bit—and now Mr. Stirling has made me an American, and I’m so happy. I hate foreigners.”
Watts laughed. “Why, Dot. You mustn’t say that to Mr. Moriarty. He’s a foreigner himself.” ”

“ Let's all drink to success at Disko Island, where the seals are."
Stirling grew thoughtful. Again the subject of seals had come up, and he glanced from face to face about him. The circle of men who comprised the afterguard of the Pole Star would have supported most any desperate enterprise. None was a young man; all were experienced.
Stirling set down his glass. Marr had stepped toward the after bulkhead of the cabin, and rested his hand on the piano.
A slight bump, as if a small boat had touched the outer run of the ship, sounded, and this was followed by steps on the deck overhead. ”

“ It ain't natural. He's like a polite boarding-house runner. Them's the sharks to look out for. They know more than we do!"
"We'll keep our jaw tackle chockablock!" said Stirling, tapping his pipe against the rail and cramming it into his side pocket. "We'll sail ship and tend to our duties. I'll get the crow's-nest up in the morning. You'll find me ready for anything—short of breaking the law of the three nations. I'll put the Pole Star where the old man says, but I won't raid no rookeries with him. I won't do that!"
The positive set to Stirling's jaw was a relief to Cushner. ”

“ Stirling,” said he, “you know a publishing house is always on the lookout for the new man. That is why I wanted to have the pleasure of meeting you. It is evident to me that you have literary talent of no common kind.”
(I bow.)
“I wish that I could tell you that we could consider The Captive an available piece of writing; I have read it myself with the greatest care. But you must know, Mr. Stirling, that it is an exceedingly difficult piece of work; I mean difficult from a publisher's point of view. ”

“ As if Peter would tell you secrets. Come, Peter, I want to take you over and let Miss Biddle congratulate you.”
“Peter has just asked me for this waltz,” said Leonore. “Oh, Mr. Rutgers, I’m so sorry, I’m going to dance this with Mr. Stirling.”
And then Peter felt he was to be congratulated.
“I shan’t marry him myself,” thought Leonore, “but I won’t have my friends married off right under my nose, and you can try all you want, Mrs. Rivington.”
So Peter’s guardianship was apparently bearing fruit. Yet man to this day holds woman to be the weaker vessel! ”

“ Two days after the trial, Peter had another call from Dummer.
“You handled that case in great style, Mr. Stirling,” he told Peter. “You know the ropes as well as far older men. You got just the right evidence out of your witnesses, and not a bit of superfluous rubbish. That’s the mistake most young men make. ”

“ Stirling’s intimate friends are bound to give such a construction to the song, and the attempt does them credit.’”
“But why don’t you deny it, Peter?” asked Leonore anxiously. “It’s awful to think of people saying you are a drunkard!”
“If I denied the untruths told of me I should have my hands full. Nobody believes such things, except the people who are ready to believe them. They wouldn’t believe otherwise, no matter what I said. If you think a man is a scoundrel, you are not going to believe his word.”
“But, Peter,” said Mrs. D’Alloi, “you ought to deny them for the future. ”