ents and Honorables appealed to him for
aid and counsel.

"Boys," he said at last, "I've been figgerin' that he's just madder'n
blazes at what you done to the sails, and that as soon's he works
his mad off he'll turn tail. Judgin' from what he said to me, it ain't
safe to tackle him right away. It will only keep him mad. Hold tight
for a little while and let's see what he'll do when he cools. And
if he don't cool then, I've got quite a habit of gettin' mad myself."

And, hanging their hopes on this argument and promise, they crouched
there in their misery, their eyes on the dim figure at the wheel,
their ears open to the screech of the gale, their souls as sick within
them as were their stomachs.

In that sea and that wind the progress of the _Dobson_ was, as the
Cap'n mentally put it, a "sashay." There was way enough on her to
hold her into the wind, but the waves and the tides lugged her slowly
sideways and backward. And yet, with their present sea-room Cap'n
Sproul hoped that he might claw off enough to save her.

Upon his absorption in these hopes blundered Hiram through the night,
crawling aft on his hands and knees after final and despairing appeal
from his men.

"I say, Cap'n," he gasped, "you and I have been too good friends to
have this go any further. I've took my medicine. So have the boys.
Now let's shake hands and go ashore."

No reply from the desperate mariner at the wheel battling for life.

"You heard me!" cried Hiram, fear and anger rasping in his tones.
"I say, I want to go ashore, and, damme, I'm goin'!"

"Take your shoes in your hand and wade," gritted the Cap'n. "I ain't
stoppin' you." He still scorned to explain to the meddlesome
landsman.

"I can carry a grudge myself," blustered Hiram. "But I finally stop
to think of others that's dependent on me. We've got wives ashore,
you and me have, and these men has got families dependent on 'em.
I tell ye to turn round and go ashore!"

"Turn round, you devilish idjit?" bellowed the Cap'n. "What do you
think this is--one of your circus wagons with a span of hosses hitched
in front of it? I told you once before that I didn't want to be
bothered with conversation. I tell you so ag'in. I've got things on
my mind that you don't know anything about, and that you ain't got
intellect enough to understand. Now, you shut up or I'll kick you
overboard for a mutineer."

At the end of half an hour of silence--bitter, suffering
silence--Hiram broke out w