nerves. The husky bellowings of the other, though unintelligible, seemed
to suggest a state of lively satisfaction.

There could be no mistake. The old fool was pleased with something.

The boatswain's other hand had found some other body, for in a changed
tone he began to inquire: "Is it you, sir? Is it you, sir?" The wind
strangled his howls.

"Yes!" cried Captain MacWhirr.



IV

All that the boatswain, out of a superabundance of yells, could make
clear to Captain MacWhirr was the bizarre intelligence that "All them
Chinamen in the fore 'tween deck have fetched away, sir."

Jukes to leeward could hear these two shouting within six inches of
his face, as you may hear on a still night half a mile away two men
conversing across a field. He heard Captain MacWhirr's exasperated
"What? What?" and the strained pitch of the other's hoarseness. "In a
lump . . . seen them myself. . . . Awful sight, sir . . . thought . . .
tell you."

Jukes remained indifferent, as if rendered irresponsible by the force
of the hurricane, which made the very thought of action utterly vain.
Besides, being very young, he had found the occupation of keeping his
heart completely steeled against the worst so engrossing that he had