in gradually until the sides meet in a peak like a roof.
It must then be braced and battened securely with heavy timbers from
each side of the ship, in order that the dead weight may be held in the
center of the ship and keep her in trim. Woe to the ship that shifts a
cargo of nitrate in a heavy gale; for it is a tradition of the sea that,
once a vessel rolls her main yard under, she will not roll it back, and
ultimately is posted at Lloyd's as missing.

When the cargo was out Mr. Murphy went ashore and purchased a lot of
Chinese punk, which he burned in the hold, with the hatches battened
down, while Mr. MacLean, who had once been a druggist's clerk, and who,
by the way, had concluded to stay by the ship, sloshed down the decks
with an aromatic concoction mixed by a local apothecary. The remnant of
their spoiled stores Matt Peasley, like a true Yankee, sawed off to good
advantage on a trustful citizen of Antofagasta, and credited the ship
with the proceeds; after which he got his nitrate aboard and squared
away for the Hawaiian Islands.

The run to Makaweli was very slow, for the ship was logy with the grass
and barnacles on her bottom. At Makaweli he found a sugar cargo awaiting
him for discharge at Seattle; and, thanks to the northwest trades at her
quarter, the Retriever wallowed home reasonably fast.

CHAPTER XIV. INSULT ADDED TO INJURY

When Matt Peasley's report of that long voyage reached the Blue Star
Navigation Company it was opened by Mr. Skinner, who, finding no letter
enclosed, had a clerk check and verify it, and then pass it on to old
Cappy Ricks.

"Where's the letter that came with this report, Skinner?" Cappy piped.

"He didn't enclose one, Mr. Ricks."

"Im-possible!"

"All of Captain Peasley's communications with this office since he
entered our employ have been by wire."

"But--dad-burn the fellow, Skinner--why doesn't he write and tell us
something?"

"About what?"

"Why, about his ship, his voyage--any old thing. An owner likes to have
a report on his property once in a while, doesn't he? Unless we happen
to charter the Retriever for a cargo to her home port, you know very
well, Skinner, we may not see her for years. Besides, I've never seen
the man Peasley, and if he'd only write now and then I could get a
line on him from his letters. I can always tell a fool by the letter he
writes, Skinner."

"Well, then," Skinner replied. "Peasley must be a wise man, because he
never write