im. He lifted his hands. "Ask James Finch. I've no way to
tell," he said curtly.

"Have you no opinion?" Joel insisted.

The ship owner tilted his head, set finger tip to finger tip, assumed the
air of one who delivers judgment. "Islanders, 'tis like," he said.
"There's a many there." He looked sidewise at Joel, looked away. Joel was
nodding.

"Yes, many thereabouts," he agreed. "But there would have been tracks.
Were there none?"

"Mark left his boat's crew," said Asa. "Walked away along the shore. That
was all."

"No tracks?"

"They saw where he'd left the sand." The ship owner shifted in his chair.
"Seems like I'd heard you and Mark wa'n't too good friends, Joel. Your
a'mighty worked up."

Joel looked at the little man with bleak eyes. "He was my brother."

"I've heard tell he forgot you was his, sometimes."

Joel paid no heed. "You think it was Islanders?"

Asa kicked the corner of his desk, watching his foot. "What else was
there?"

"I've nothing in my mind," said Joel, and shook his head. "But it sticks
in me that Mark was no man to die easy. There was a full measure of life
in him."

Asa got up awkwardly, waved his hand. "We're off the course, Joel. What
about the _Nathan Ross_? Ready for sea, come Tuesday. I'm not one to
press her on any man, unwilling. Say your say, man. Do you take her? Or
no?"

Joel drew slowly once more upon his pipe. "If I take her," he said,
"we'll work the Gilberts first of all, and try once again for a sign of
my brother Mark."

Asa jerked his head. "So you pick up any oil that comes your way, I've no
objection," he agreed. "Matter of fact, that's the best thing to do. Mark
may yet live." His eyes snapped up to the others. "You take her, then?"

Joel nodded slowly. "I take her, sir," he said. "With thanks to you."

Asa banged his hand jubilantly on his desk. "That's done. Now ..."

The two men sat down at Asa's big desk again; and for an hour they were
busy with matters that concerned the coming cruise. When a whaleship goes
to sea, she goes for a three-year cruise; and save only the items of food
and water, she carries with her everything she will need for that whole
time, with an ample allowance to spare. She is a department store of the
seas; for she works with iron and wood, with steel and bone, with fire
and water and rope and sail. All these things she must have, and many
more. And the lists of a whaleship's stores are long and long, and take
much checking. W