ears, and his great flat nose was red from the irritation of the water
that struck and streamed over his bearded face. His whiskers gleamed with
salt in the light of the lamp, and he spat with great satisfaction as he
breathed the quiet air of the cabin.

"It's letting up, Rolling," he said; "there's a little light to the
easterd now. Sink me, but we've a job bending gear. Everything gone out
of her but her spars, and Lord knows how they stand it. How'd you come to
get caught with all that canvas on her?"

"Look here, Trunnell," I answered, "you know I'm a sailor even if I'm not
much else, and you know how that canvas came to be on her. I'm almost
glad it's gone. I would be if it wasn't for the fact that we'll be longer
than usual on this run, and I've about made up my mind that the quicker a
decent man gets out of this ship, the better."

I was buttoning up my oilskins while I spoke, and Trunnell smiled a queer
bit of a smile, which finally spread over his bearded face and crinkled
up the corners of his little eyes into a network of lines and wrinkles.
"I heard the outfly," said he, "and I was only joking ye about the
canvas. It's a quare world. Ye wouldn't think it, but if ye want to see a
true picture of responsibility a-restin' heavy like upon the digestion of
a man, ye'll do well to take a good look at the old man a-standin' there
on the poop. 'What for?' says you; 'God knows,' says me; but there he is,
without a drop o' licker or nothin' in him since he heard ye bellow fer
all hands."

"I should think he'd feel a little upset after the way he caught her," I
answered; "he probably has the owners' interests a little at heart."