truck in her inside. Then again, if we lose her, and land in Peru, where
are we? We can't declare the loss, or how did we get to Peru? In that
case the merchant can't touch the insurance; most likely he'll go bust;
and don't you think you see the three of us on the beach of Callao?"

"There's no extradition there," said Herrick.

"Well, my son, and we want to be extraded," said the captain. "What's
our point? We want to have a consul extrade us as far as San Francisco
and that merchant's office door. My idea is that Samoa would be found an
eligible business centre. It's dead before the wind; the States have a
consul there, and 'Frisco steamers call, so's we could skip right back
and interview the merchant."

"Samoa?" said Herrick. "It will take us for ever to get there."

"O, with a fair wind!" said the captain.

"No trouble about the log, eh?" asked Huish.

"No, _sir_," said Davis. "_Light airs and baffling winds. Squalls and
calms. D.R.: five miles. No obs. Pumps attended._ And fill in the
barometer and thermometer off of last year's trip. 'Never saw such a
voyage,' says you to the consul. 'Thought I was going to run short...'"
He stopped in mid career. "'Say," he began again, and once more stopped.
"Beg your pardon, Herrick," he added with undisguised humility, "but did
you keep the run of the stores?"

"Had I been told to do so it should have been done, as the rest was
done, to the best of my little ability," said Herrick. "As it was, the
cook helped himself to what he pleased."

Davis looked at the table.

"I drew it rather fine, you see," he said at last. "The great thing was
to clear right out of Papeete before the consul could think better of
it. Tell you what: I guess I'll take stock."

And he rose from the table and disappeared with a lamp in the lazarette.

"'Ere's another screw loose," observed Huish.

"My man," said Herrick, with a sudden gleam of animosity, "it is still
your watch on deck, and surely your wheel also?"

"You come the 'eavy swell, don't you, ducky?" said Huish. "Stand away
from that binnacle. Surely your w'eel, my man. Yah."

He lit a cigar ostentatiously, and strolled into the waist with his
hands in his pockets.

In a surprisingly short time the captain reappeared; he did not look at
Herrick, but called Huish back and sat down.

"Well," he began, "I've taken stock--roughly." He paused as if for
somebody to help him out; and none doing so, both gazing on him instead
with