him, he guesses it had somethin' to do
with the pearls, because when Abner got back after buryin' Abe he went
to work in a most tremenjous hurry to get his schooner, the
_Kingfisher_, ready for sea, observin' the greatest secrecy about it,
and refusin' to say what the hurry was, or where he was boun' to. But
he was layin' in such a big stock of provisions and water that people
got talkin' about it; and that was how my cousin got to hear what was
goin' on. But he didn't get to hear of it until just at the very last,
which was on the day that the _Kingfisher_ went to sea, which was two
days before Christmas! So, you see, this Abner Slocum was in such a
tarnation hurry to git away that he wouldn't even wait to spend
Christmas with his wife and kiddies. Now, what d'ye make of that yarn?"

"Well," said Cunningham, "I am bound to admit, Captain, that it looks
very much as though your friend Abe, finding himself upon his deathbed,
had sent for his brother-in-law and divulged to him the secret of the
oyster bed. Probably when he found himself dying, and realised that he
could derive no personal benefit from his discovery, he wished that the
wealth should go to his own family."

"That's how I figure it out," agreed the skipper. "But I reckon that my
claim's just as good as Abner's, Abe havin' entered into a business
agreement with me. Besides, it isn't as though Abner'd make good use of
the money when he'd got it. I know Abner Slocum through and through,
and I tell you, gents, that he's out-and-out the very worst character in
all Nantucket--a real, downright hard case, and--well, everything that's
bad; and if he happens to get any o' them pearls he'll just drink
hisself to death in three months, and most likely kill his wife into the
bargain."

"Then in that case," said I, "it seems to me that it will be a great
deal better that he should not have any of them."

"Well, that's just my view of it too," agreed the skipper. "But I guess
he's goin' to do his level best to get hold of 'em," he continued. "I
reckon that Abe must ha' told him that he'd parted with his secret to
me, and that I was fittin' out to go in search of them there oysters,
and that's the reason why he was so all-fired anxious to get to sea
before me. And as a matter o' fact he did it; he sailed three clear
days ahead of me, and must ha' been just about off Cape Henry when we
cleared it. So it's a race between the two schooners which'll get there