same reason I wouldn't think of trying to smash the door. There
would have been a rush to stop me at the noise, and I did not mean
to get into a confounded scrimmage. Somebody else might have got
killed--for I would not have broken out only to get chucked back,
and I did not want any more of that work. He refused, looking more
sick than ever. He was afraid of the men, and also of that old
second mate of his who had been sailing with him for years--a grey-
headed old humbug; and his steward, too, had been with him devil
knows how long--seventeen years or more--a dogmatic sort of loafer
who hated me like poison, just because I was the chief mate. No
chief mate ever made more than one voyage in the Sephora, you know.
Those two old chaps ran the ship. Devil only knows what the
skipper wasn't afraid of (all his nerve went to pieces altogether
in that hellish spell of bad weather we had)--of what the law would
do to him--of his wife, perhaps. Oh, yes! she's on board. Though
I don't think she would have meddled. She would have been only too
glad to have me out of the ship in any way. The 'brand of Cain'
business, don't you see. That's all right. I was ready enough to
go off wandering on the face of the earth--and that was price
enough to pay for an Abel of that sort. Anyhow, he wouldn't listen
to me. 'This thing must take its course. I represent the law
here.' He was shaking like a leaf. 'So you won't?' 'No!' 'Then
I hope you will be able to sleep on that,' I said, and turned my
back on him. 'I wonder that YOU can,' cries he, and locks the
door.

"Well, after that, I couldn't. Not very well. That was three
weeks ago. We have had a slow passage through the Java Sea;
drifted about Carimata for ten days. When we anchored here they
thought, I suppose, it was all right. The nearest land (and that's