d here I am
wid our account unsettled. But what brings _you_ here?"
"Kape yer hands off me, John Murphy, and I'll tell ye. The dope in the
bottles was too strong for me, but not for thim. When they wakened at
daylight they found me among 'em with the tug alongside, and insisted
that I drink wid thim 'fore goin' aboard the tug."
"And ye did?"
"I did. They had their fingers at me throat, Murphy. So I drank. I git
this for tryin' to help you out in your schemes, John Murphy."
"And I git this for not watchin' you, Tim Hennesey. Gwan aft; the old
man 'll make ye a bosun like me; then come forrard and git yerself a
brick agin' the time whin they wake up. Our lives are in danger whin
they find out they've got to wark a wind-jammer across to the old sod.
We'll settle our private account later on."
Murphy accompanied Hennesey aft and listened to his explanations to
Captain Williams. They were glib and apologetic.
"I didn't know," he said, "that they weren't sailormin. And they were
the only min in port, and Murphy had 'em; so I shipped 'em."
"Exactly," answered the captain, coldly; "and they shipped you. You two
fellows are caught in the plant you prepared for me, and you've got to
stand for it. Ever been to sea, Hennesey?"
"Tin years, Captain. I'm an able seaman, though not a heavy man."
"Heavy enough. Get a brick out of the galley, and I'll make you a bosun
without pay. You two will make those tarriers work. Come aft to the
wheel, the pair of you. Mr. Baker"--this to the man coiling ropes, who
dropped his task and followed--"Mr. Baker," said the captain, "and Mr.
Sharp"--he turned to the man at the wheel--"these two men have some
influence over the crew, and I've made them acting bosuns. They've been
to sea, and their part is to loose canvas and put ropes into the hands
of the others. Your part is to see that they do it."
The two officers turned their swollen faces toward Murphy and Hennesey,
and inspected them through closed and blackened eyelids. Then they
nodded, and the introduction was complete.
"Come, Hennesey," said Murphy, briskly, now that the situation was
defined. "We'll be gettin' a brick for ye, and wan each for the skipper
and the mates. We'll need 'em. Thin we'll go through 'em for the dope,
and then we'll loose the canvas."
For this short run across the Atlantic Captain Williams had shipped
neither carpenter, sailmaker, nor boatswains, he and his two mates, a
weakling steward and the C
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