I
know his sort. Afraid to take advantage of a proper breeze of wind that
will fetch him in in twenty hours, he'll get caught out in the calm that
follows and spend a whole week in getting in. The _Martha_ will make
money with him, there's no doubt of it; but she won't make near the money
that she would under a competent master."
She paused, and with heightened colour and sparkling eyes gazed seaward
at the schooner.
"My! but she is a witch! Look at her eating up the water, and there's no
wind to speak of. She's not got ordinary white metal either. It's man-
of-war copper, every inch of it. I had them polish it with cocoanut
husks when she was careened at Poonga-Poonga. She was a seal-hunter
before this gold expedition got her. And seal-hunters had to sail.
They've run away from second class Russian cruisers more than once up
there off Siberia.
"Honestly, if I'd dreamed of the chance waiting for me at Guvutu when I
bought her for less than three hundred dollars, I'd never have gone
partners with you. And in that case I'd be sailing her right now."
The justice of her contention came abruptly home to Sheldon. What she
had done she would have done just the same if she had not been his
partner. And in the saving of the _Martha_ he had played no part.
Pages:
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217