“Mr。Dodd。”returnedNares，“you’rerightaboutmehavingbeentoseathebiggerpartofmylife。Andyou’rerightagainwhenyouthinkIknowagoodmanywaysinwhichadishonestcaptainmayn’tbeonthesquare，nordoexactlytherightthingbyhisowners，andaltogetherbejustalittletoosmartbyninety-nineandthree-quarters。There’sagoodmanyways，butnotsomanyasyou’dthink；andnotonethathasanymortalthingtodowithTrent。Trentandhiswholerackethasgottodowithnothing——that’sthebed-rockfact；there’snosensetoit，andnouseinit，andnostorytoit：it’sabeastlydream。Anddon’tyourunawaywiththatnotionthatlandsmentakeaboutships。Asocietyactressdon’tgoaroundmorepubliclythanwhatashipdoes，norismoreinterviewed，normorehumbugged，normorerunafterbyallsortsoflittlefussinessesinbrassbuttons。Andmorethananactress，ashiphasadealtolose；she’scapital，andtheactressonlycharacter——ifshe’sthat。
Theportsoftheworldarethickwithpeoplereadytokickacaptainintothepenitentiaryifhe’snotasbrightasadollarandashonestasthemorningstar；andwhatwithLloydkeepingwatchandwatchineverycornerofthethreeoceans，andtheinsuranceleeches，andtheconsuls，andthecustomsbugs，andthemedicos，youcanonlygettheideabythinkingofalandsmanwatchedbyahundredandfiftydetectives，orastrangerinavillageDownEast。”
“Well，butatsea？”Isaid。
“Youmakemetired。”retortedthecaptain。“What’stheuse——atsea？Everything’sgottocometobearingsatsomeport，hasn’tit？Youcan’tstopatseaforever，canyou？——No；theFlyingScudisrubbish；ifitmeantanything，itwouldhavetomeansomethingsoalmightyintricatethatJamesG。Blainehasn’tgotthebrainstoengineerit；andIvoteformoreaxeing，pioneering，andopeninguptheresourcesofthisphenomenalbrig，andlessgeneralfuss。”headded，arising。“Thedime-museumsymptomswilldropinofthemselves，Iguess，tokeepuscheery。”
Butitappearedwewereattheendofdiscoveriesfortheday；
andweleftthebrigaboutsundown，withoutbeingfurtherpuzzledorfurtherenlightened。Thebestofthecabinspoils——
books，instruments，papers，silks，andcuriosities——wecarriedalongwithusinablanket，however，todiverttheeveninghours；andwhensupperwasover，andthetablecleared，andJohnsonsetdowntoadrearygameofcribbagebetweenhisrighthandandhisleft，thecaptainandIturnedoutourblanketonthefloor，andsatsidebysidetoexamineandappraisethespoils。
Thebookswerethefirsttoengageournotice。Thesewererathernumerous(asNarescontemptuouslyputit)“foralime-
juicer。”ScornoftheBritishmercantilemarineglowsinthebreastofeveryYankeemerchantcaptain；asthescornisnotreciprocated，Icanonlysupposeitjustifiedinfact；andcertainlytheoldcountrymarinerappearsofalessstudiousdisposition。ThemorecredittotheofficersoftheFlyingScud，whohadquitealibrary，bothliteraryandprofessional。TherewereFindlay’sfivedirectoriesoftheworld——allbroken-backed，asisusualwithFindlay，andallmarkedandscribbledoverwithcorrectionsandadditions——severalbooksofnavigation，asignalcode，andanAdmiraltybookofasortoforangehue，called_IslandsoftheEasternPacificOcean，Vol。III。_，whichappearedfromitsimprinttobethelatestauthority，andshowedmarksoffrequentconsultationinthepassagesabouttheFrenchFrigateShoals，theHarman，Cure，Pearl，andHermesreefs，LisianskyIsland，OceanIsland，andtheplacewherewethenlay——BrooksorMidway。AvolumeofMacaulay’s_Essays_
andashillingShakespeareledthevanofthebelleslettres；therestwerenovels：severalMissBraddons——ofcourse，_AuroraFloyd_，whichhaspenetratedtoeveryisleofthePacific，agoodmanycheapdetectivebooks，_RobRoy_，Auerbach’s_AufderHohe_intheGerman，andaprizetemperancestory，pillaged(tojudgebythestamp)fromanAnglo-Indiancirculatinglibrary。
“TheAdmiraltymangivesafinepictureofourisland。”
remarkedNares，whohadturnedupMidwayIsland。“Hedrawsthedrearinessrathermild，butyoucanmakeoutheknowstheplace。”
“Captain。”Icried，“you’vestruckanotherpointinthismadbusiness。Seehere。”Iwentoneagerly，drawingfrommypocketacrumpledfragmentofthe_DailyOccidental_whichI
hadinheritedfromJim：“’misledbyHoyt’sPacificDirectory’？
Where’sHoyt？”
“Let’slookintothat。”saidNares。“Igotthatbookonpurposeforthiscruise。”Therewithhefetcheditfromtheshelfinhisberth，turnedtoMidwayIsland，andreadtheaccountaloud。ItstatedwithprecisionthatthePacificMailCompanywereabouttoformadepotthere，inpreferencetoHonolulu，andthattheyhadalreadyastationontheisland。
“IwonderwhogivestheseDirectorymentheirinformation。”
Naresreflected。“NobodycanblameTrentafterthat。Inevergotincompanywithsquarerlying；itremindsamanofapresidentialcampaign。”
“Allverywell。”saidI。“That’syourHoyt，andafine，tallcopy。
ButwhatIwanttoknowis，whereisTrent’sHoyt？”
“Tookitwithhim。”chuckledNares。“Hehadlefteverythingelse，billsandmoneyandalltherest；hewasboundtotakesomething，oritwouldhavearousedattentionontheTempest：
’Happythought，’sayshe，’let’stakeHoyt。’“
“Andhasitnotoccurredtoyou。”Iwenton，“thatalltheHoytsincreationcouldn’thavemisledTrent，sincehehadinhishandthatredadmiraltybook，anofficialpublication，laterindate，andparticularlyfullonMidwayIsland？”
“That’safact！”criedNares；“andIbetthefirstHoytheeversawwasoutofthemercantilelibraryofSanFrancisco。Looksasifhehadbroughtherhereonpurpose，don’tit？Butthenthat’sinconsistentwiththesteam-crusherofthesale。That’sthetroublewiththisbrigracket；anyonecanmakehalfadozentheoriesforsixtyorseventypercentofit；butwhenthey’remade，there’salwaysafathomortwoofslackhangingoutoftheotherend。”
Ibelieveourattentionfellnextonthepapers，ofwhichwehadaltogetheraconsiderablebulk。Ihadhopedtofindamongthesematterforafull-lengthcharacterofCaptainTrent；buthereIwasdoomed，onthewhole，todisappointment。Wecouldmakeouthewasanorderlyman，forallhisbillsweredocketedandpreserved。Thathewasconvivial，andinclinedtobefrugaleveninconviviality，severaldocumentsproclaimed。
Suchlettersaswefoundwere，withoneexception，aridnotesfromtradesmen。Theexception，signedHannahTrent，wasasomewhatfervidappealforaloan。“YouknowwhatmisfortunesIhavehadtobear。”wroteHannah，“andhowmuchIamdisappointedinGeorge。ThelandladyappearedatruefriendwhenIfirstcamehere，andIthoughtheraperfectlady。
Butshehascomeoutsincetheninhertruecolours；andifyouwillnotbesoftenedbythislastappeal，Ican’tthinkwhatistobecomeofyouraffectionate——“andthenthesignature。Thisdocumentwaswithoutplaceordate，andavoicetoldmethatithadgonelikewisewithoutanswer。Onthewhole，therewerefewlettersanywhereintheship；butwefoundonebeforewewerefinished，inaseaman’schest，ofwhichImusttranscribesomesentences。ItwasdatedfromsomeplaceontheClyde。
“Mydearistson。”itran，“thisistotellyouyourdearistfatherpassedaway，Jantwelft，inthepeaceoftheLord。HehadyourphotoanddearDavid’sladeuponhisbed，mademesitbyhim。
Let’sbea’thegither，hesaid，andgaveyouallhisblessing。O
mydearladdie，whywerenaeyouandDaviehere？Hewouldhavehadahappierpassage。Hespokofbothofyeallnightmostbeautiful，andhowyeusedtostravaigontheSaturdayafternoons，andofauldKelvinside。Sooththetunetome，hesaid，thoughitwastheSabbath，andIhadtosoothhimKelvinGrove，andhelookedathisfiddle，thedearman。Icannaebearthesightofit，he’llneverplayitmair。Omylamb，comehometome，I’mallbymylanenow。”Therestwasinareligiousveinandquiteconventional。IhaveneverseenanyonemoreputoutthanNares，whenIhandedhimthisletter；hehadreadbutafewwords，beforehecastitdown；itwasperhapsaminuteerehepickeditupagain，andtheperformancewasrepeatedthethirdtimebeforehereachedtheend。
“It’stouching，isn’tit？”saidI。
Forallanswer，Naresexplodedinabrutaloath；anditwassomehalfanhourlaterthathevouchsafedanexplanation。“I’lltellyouwhatbrokemeupaboutthatletter。”saidhe。“Myoldmanplayedthefiddle，playeditalloutoftune：oneofthethingsheplayedwas_Martyrdom，_Iremember——itwasallmartyrdomtome。Hewasapigofafather，andIwasapigofason；butitsortofcameovermeIwouldliketohearthatfiddlesqueakagain。Natural。”headded；“Iguesswe’reallbeasts。”
“Allsonsare，Iguess。”saidI。“Ihavethesametroubleonmyconscience：wecanshakehandsonthat。”Which(oddlyenough，perhaps)wedid。
Amongstthepaperswefoundaconsiderablesprinklingofphotographs；forthemostparteitherofverydebonair-lookingyoungladiesoroldwomenofthelodging-housepersuasion。
Butoneamongthemwasthemeansofourcrowningdiscovery。
“They’renotpretty，arethey，Mr。Dodd？”saidNares，ashepasseditover。
“Who？”Iasked，mechanicallytakingthecard(itwasaquarter-
plate)inhand，andsmotheringayawn；forthehourwaslate，thedayhadbeenlaborious，andIwaswearyingforbed。
“TrentandCompany。”saidhe。“That’sahistoricpictureofthegang。”
Iheldittothelight，mycuriosityatalowebb：IhadseenCaptainTrentonce，andhadnodelightinviewinghimagain。
Itwasaphotographofthedeckofthebrig，takenfromforward：
allinapple-pieorder；thehandsgatheredinthewaist，theofficersonthepoop。Atthefootofthecardwaswritten“BrigFlyingScud，Rangoon。”andadate；andaboveorbeloweachindividualfigurethenamehadbeencarefullynoted。
AsIcontinuedtogaze，ashockwentthroughme；thedimnessofsleepandfatigueliftedfrommyeyes，asfogliftsinthechannel；andIbeheldwithstartledclearnessthephotographicpresentmentofacrowdofstrangers。“J。Trent，Master“atthetopofthecarddirectedmetoasmallish，weazenedman，withbushyeyebrowsandfullwhitebeard，dressedinafrockcoatandwhitetrousers；aflowerstuckinhisbutton-hole，hisbeardedchinsetforward，hismouthclenchedwithhabitualdetermination。Therewasnotmuchofthesailorinhislooks，butplentyofthemartinet：adry，preciseman，whomightpassforapreacherinsomerigidsect；andwhateverhewas，nottheCaptainTrentofSanFrancisco。Themen，too，wereallnewtome：thecook，anunmistakableChinaman，inhischaracteristicdress，standingapartonthepoopsteps。ButperhapsIturnedonthewholewiththegreatestcuriositytothefigurelabelled“E。Goddedaal，1stoff。”HewhomIhadneverseen，hemightbetheidentical；hemightbetheclueandspringofallthismystery；andIscannedhisfeatureswiththeeyeofadetective。
Hewasofgreatstature，seeminglyblondeasaviking，hishairclusteringroundhisheadinfrowsycurls，andtwoenormouswhiskers，likethetusksofsomestrangeanimal，juttingfromhischeeks。Withthesevirileappendagesandthedefiantattitudeinwhichhestood，theexpressionofhisfaceonlyimperfectlyharmonised。Itwaswild，heroic，andwomanishlooking；andIfeltIwaspreparedtohearhewasasentimentalist，andtoseehimweep。
ForsomewhileIdigestedmydiscoveryinprivate，reflectinghowbest，andhowwithmostofdrama，Imightshareitwiththecaptain。Thenmysketch-bookcameinmyhead；andI
fisheditoutfromwhereitlay，withothermiscellaneouspossessions，atthefootofmybunkandturnedtomysketchofCaptainTrentandthesurvivorsoftheBritishbrigFlyingScudintheSanFranciscobar-room。
“Nares。”saidI，“I’vetoldyouhowIfirstsawCaptainTrentinthatsaloonin’Frisco？howhecamewithhismen，oneofthemaKanakawithacanary-birdinacage？andhowIsawhimafterwardsattheauction，frightenedtodeath，andasmuchsurprisedathowthefiguresskippedupasanybodythere？
Well。”saidI，“there’sthemanIsaw“——andIlaidthesketchbeforehim——“there’sTrentof’Friscoandtherearehisthreehands。Findoneoftheminthephotograph，andI’llbeobliged。”
Narescomparedthetwoinsilence。“Well。”hesaidatlast，“I
callthisratherarelief：seemstoclearthehorizon。Wemighthaveguessedatsomethingofthekindfromthedoublerationofcheststhatfigured。”
“Doesitexplainanything？”Iasked。
“Itwouldexplaineverything。”Naresreplied，“butforthesteam-crusher。It’llalltallyasneatasapatentpuzzle，ifyouleaveoutthewaythesepeoplebidthewreckup。Andtherewecometoastonewall。Butwhateveritis，Mr。Dodd，it’sonthecrook。”
“Andlookslikepiracy。”Iadded。
“Lookslikeblindhookey！”criedthecaptain。“No，don’tyoudeceiveyourself；neitheryourheadnormineisbigenoughtoputanameonthisbusiness。”
