The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Master Of Craft, by W. W. Jacobs

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Title: A Master Of Craft

Author: W. W. Jacobs

Release Date: June 25, 2007 [EBook #21929]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A MASTER OF CRAFT ***

Produced by David Widger

A MASTER OF CRAFT.

By W. W. JACOBS.

1899

CHAPTER I.

A pretty girl stood alone on the jetty of an old-fashioned wharf at
Wapping, looking down upon the silent deck of a schooner below. No smoke
issued from the soot-stained cowl of the galley, and the fore-scuttle
and the companion were both inhospitably closed. The quiet of evening
was over everything, broken only by the whirr of the paddles of a
passenger steamer as it passed carefully up the centre of the river, or
the plash of a lighterman's huge sweep as he piloted his unwieldy craft
down on the last remnant of the ebb-tide. In shore, various craft sat
lightly on the soft Thames mud: some sheeting a rigid uprightness,
others with their decks at various angles of discomfort.

The girl stood a minute or two in thought, and put her small foot out
tentatively towards the rigging some few feet distant. It was an awkward
jump, and she was still considering it, when she heard footsteps behind,
and a young man, increasing his pace as he saw her, came rapidly on to
the jetty.

"This is the _Foam_, isn't it?" enquired the girl, as he stood
expectantly. "I want to see Captain Flower."

"He went ashore about half an hour ago," said the other.

The girl tapped impatiently with her foot. "You don't know what time
he'll be back, I suppose?" she enquired.

He shook his head. "I think he's gone for the evening," he said,
pondering; "he was very careful about his dress."

The ghost of a smile trembled on the girl's lips. "He has gone to call
for me," she said. "I must have missed him. I wonder what I'd better
do."

"Wait here till he comes back," said the man, without hesitation.

The girl wavered. "I suppose, he'll guess I've come here," she said,
thoughtfully.

"Sure to," said the other promptly.

"It's a long way to Poplar," she said, reflectively. "You're Mr. Fraser,
the mate, I suppo