which they guffawed at frequent intervals.

"Spinnin' them some of his smutty yarns," growled Lund, halting in his
promenade. "Bad for discipline, an' bad for us. He's the sort of
fine-feathered bird that wouldn't give those chaps a first look ashore.
Gittin' in solid with 'em that way is a bad steer. You can't handle a
man you make a pal of, w'en he ain't yore rank."

"Carlsen's slack, but he's a good sailorman," said Rainey casually.

"Damn' sight better sailorman than he is doctor," retorted Lund. "Hear
him the other mornin' w'en I asked him if he c'ud give me somethin' to
help my eyes hurtin'? 'I'm no eye specialist,' sez he. 'Try some boracic
acid, my man.' I wouldn't put ennything in my eyes _he'd_ give me, you
can lay to that. He'd give me vitriol, if he thought I'd use it. I
wouldn't let him treat a sick cat o' mine. He's the kind o' doctor that
uses his title to give him privileges with the wimmin. I know his sort."

Rainey wondered why Lund had asked Carlsen for a lotion if he did not
mean to use it, but he did not provoke further argument. Lund was going
on.

"He don't do the skipper enny good, thet's certain."

"Captain Simms seems to believe in him," answered Rainey. He wondered
how much of Carlsen's increasing dominance over the skipper Lund had
noticed.

"Simms is Carlsen's dog!" exploded Lund. "The doc's got somethin' on
him, mark me. Carlsen's a bad egg an', w'en he hatches, you'll see a
buzzard. An' you wait till he's needed as a doctor on somethin' that
takes more'n a few kind words or a lick out a bottle."

There was a stir among the hunters. Lund turned his spectacled eyes in
their direction.

"What are they up to now?" he queried. "Goin' to play poker? Wish I had
my eyes. I'd show 'em how to read the pips."

Hansen came aft, offering to take the wheel.

"They bane goin' to shute at targets," he said. "Meester Carlsen he put
up prizes. For rifle an' shotgun. Thought you might like to watch it,
sir."

Rainey gave over the spokes and went to the starboard rail with Lund,
watching the preparations between fore and main masts for the
competition, and telling Lund what was happening. Carlsen gave out some
shotgun cartridges from cardboard boxes, twelve to each of the six
hunters.

"Hunters pay for their own shells," said Lund. "But they buy 'em from
the ship. Mate's perkisite. They usually have some shells on hand for
the rifles, but the paper cases o' the shotgun cartridges suck up the