g who answered. "It don't. The Jap don't come in, for
one."

"A cook ain't a brother?"

"Not when he's got a yellow skin," answered Deming. "We'll take up a
collection for Sandy. Rainey ain't in on the deal. We split it just
twenty-two ways. What have you got to say about it?"

His tone was truculent, and Carlsen did not appear disposed to check
him. He appeared not quite certain of the temper of the hunters. Deming,
like Rainey, evidently chafed under the preliminaries.

"You figger we're all equal aboard," said Lund slowly, "leavin' out Mr.
Rainey, Tamada an' Sandy. You an' me, an' Carlsen an' Harris there"--he
nodded toward one of the seaman delegates who listened with his slack
mouth agape, scratching himself under the armpit--"are all equal?"

Deming cast a glance at Harris and, for just a moment, hesitated.

Harris squirming under the look of Deming, which was aped by the sudden
scrutiny of all the hunters, found speech: "How in hell did you know I
was here?" he demanded of Lund. "I ain't opened my mouth yit!"

"That ain't the truth, Harris," replied Lund composedly. "It's allus
open. But if you want to know, I smelled ye."

There was a guffaw at the sally. Carlsen's voice stopped it.

"I'll answer the question, Lund. Yes, we're all equal. The world is not
a democracy. Harris, so far, hasn't had a chance to get the equal share
that belongs to him by rights. That's what I meant by saying that the
_Karluk_ was a little world of its own. We're all equal on board."

"Except Rainey, Tamada an' Sandy. Seems to me yore argumint's got holes
in it, Carlsen."

"We are waiting to know whether you agree with us?" replied Carlsen. His
voice had altered quality. It held the direct challenge. Lund accepted
it.

"I don't," he answered dryly. "There ain't enny one of you my equal, an'
you've showed it. There ain't enny one of you, from Carlsen to Harris,
who'd have the nerve to put it up to me alone. You had to band together
in a pack, like a flock of sheep, with Carlsen for sheepherder. _I'm
talking_," he went on in a tone that suddenly leaped to thunder. "None
of you have got the brains of Carlsen, becoz he had to put this scheme
inter yore noddles. Deming, you think yo're a better man than Harris,
you know damn' well you play better poker than the rest, an' you agreed
to this becoz you figger you'll win most of the gold afore the v'yage is
over. The rest of you suckers listened becoz some one tells you you are
goi