Wickswasamazed，buthenaturallyventurednoremark；andalittleafter，thesixCurrencyLassessatdownwithTrentandGoddedaaltoaspreadofmarmalade，butter，toast，sardines，tinnedtongue，andsteamingtea。Thefoodwasnotverygood，andIhavenodoubtNareswouldhavereviledit，butitwasmannatothecastaways。Goddedaalwaitedonthemwithakindnessfarbeforecourtesy，akindnesslikethatofsomeold，honestcountrywomaninherfarm。ItwasrememberedafterwardsthatTrenttooklittleshareintheseattentions，butsatmuchabsorbedinthought，andseemedtorememberandforgetthepresenceofhisguestsalternately。
PresentlyheaddressedtheChinaman。
“Clearout！”saidhe，andwatchedhimtillhehaddisappearedinthestair。“Now，gentlemen。”hewenton，“Iunderstandyou’reajoint-stocksortofcrew，andthat’swhyI’vehadyoualldown；forthere’sapointIwantmadeclear。Youseewhatsortofashipthisis——agoodship，thoughIsayit，andyouseewhattherationsare——goodenoughforsailor-men。”
Therewasahurriedmurmurofapproval，butcuriosityforwhatwascomingnextpreventedanarticulatereply。
“Well。”continuedTrent，makingbreadpillsandlookinghardatthemiddleofthetable，“I’mgladofcoursetobeabletogiveyouapassageto’Frisco；onesailor-manshouldhelpanother，that’smymotto。Butwhenyouwantathinginthisworld，yougenerallyalwayshavetopayforit。”Helaughedabrief，joylesslaugh。“Ihavenoideaoflosingbymykindness。”
“Wehavenoideayoushould，captain。”saidWicks。
“Wearereadytopayanythinginreason。”addedCarthew。
Atthewords，Goddedaal，whosatnexttohim，touchedhimwithhiselbow，andthetwomatesexchangedasignificantlook。ThecharacterofCaptainTrentwasgivenandtakeninthatsilentsecond。
“Inreason？”repeatedthecaptainofthebrig。“Iwaswaitingforthat。Reason’sbetweentwopeople，andthere’sonlyonehere。
I’mthejudge；I’mreason。Ifyouwantanadvanceyouhavetopayforit“——hehastilycorrectedhimself——“Ifyouwantapassageinmyship，youhavetopaymyprice。”hesubstituted。“That’sbusiness，Ibelieve。Idon’twantyou；youwantme。”
“Well，sir。”saidCarthew，“andwhatISyourprice？”
Thecaptainmadebreadpills。“IfIwerelikeyou。”hesaid，“whenyougotholdofthatmerchantintheGilberts，Imightsurpriseyou。Youhadyourchancethen；seemstomeit’sminenow。Turnabout’sfairplay。WhatkindofmercydidyouhaveonthatGilbertmerchant？”hecried，withasuddenstridency。
“NotthatIblameyou。All’sfairinloveandbusiness。”andhelaughedagain，alittlefrostygiggle。
“Well，sir？”saidCarthew，gravely。
“Well，thisship’smine，Ithink？”heaskedsharply。
“Well，I’mofthatwayofthinkingmeself。”observedMac。
“Isayit’smine，sir！”reiteratedTrent，likeamantryingtobeangry。“AndItellyouall，ifIwasadriverlikewhatyouare，I
wouldtakethelot。Butthere’stwothousandpoundstherethatdon’tbelongtoyou，andI’manhonestman。Givemethetwothousandthat’syours，andI’llgiveyouapassagetothecoast，andlandeveryman-jackofyouin’Friscowithfifteenpoundsinhispocket，andthecaptainherewithtwenty-five。”
Goddedaallaiddownhisheadonthetablelikeamanashamed。
“You’rejoking。”saidWicks，purpleintheface。
“AmI？”saidTrent。“Pleaseyourselves。You’reundernocompulsion。Thisship’smine，butthere’sthatBrooksIslanddon’tbelongtome，andyoucanlaytheretillyoudieforwhatI
care。”
“It’smorethanyourbloomingbrig’sworth！”criedWicks。
“It’smypriceanyway。”returnedTrent。
“Anddoyoumeantosayyouwouldlandustheretostarve？”
criedTommy。
CaptainTrentlaughedthethirdtime。“Starve？Idefyyouto。”
saidhe。“I’llsellyoualltheprovisionsyouwantatafairprofit。”
“Ibegyourpardon，sir。”saidMac，“butmycaseisbyitselfI’mworkingmepassage；Igotnoshareinthattwothousandpoundsnornothinginmypockut；andI’llbegladtoknowwhatyouhavetosaytome？”
“Iain’tahardman。”saidTrent。“Thatshallmakenodifference。I’lltakeyouwiththerest，onlyofcourseyougetnofifteenpound。”
Theimpudencewassoextremeandstartling，thatallbreatheddeep，andGoddedaalraiseduphisfaceandlookedhissuperiorsternlyintheeye。
ButMacwasmorearticulate。“Andyou’rewhatyecallaBritishsayman，Isuppose？thesorrowinyourguts！”hecried。
“Onemoresuchword，andIclapyouinirons！”saidTrent，risinggleefullyatthefaceofopposition。
“AndwherewouldIbethewhileyouweredoin’ut？”askedMac。“Afteryouandyourrigging，too！Yeouldpuggy，yehaven’tthecivilityofabug，andI’lllearnyesome。”
Hisvoicedidnotevenriseasheutteredthethreat；nomanpresent，Trentleastofall，expectedthatwhichfollowed。TheIrishman’shandrosesuddenlyfrombelowthetable，anopenclasp-knifebalancedonthepalm；therewasamovementswiftasconjuring；Trentstartedhalftohisfeet，turningalittleasherosesoastoescapethetable，andthemovementwashisbane。
Themissilestruckhiminthejugular；hefellforward，andhisbloodflowedamongthedishesonthecloth。
Thesuddennessoftheattackandthecatastrophe，theinstantchangefrompeacetowarandfromlifetodeath，heldallmenspellbound。Yetamomenttheysataboutthetablestaringopen-mouthedupontheprostratecaptainandtheflowingblood。Thenext，Goddedaalhadleapedtohisfeet，caughtupthestoolonwhichhehadbeensitting，andswungithighinair，amantransfigured，roaring(ashestood)sothatmen’searswerestunnedwithit。TherewasnothoughtofbattleintheCurrencyLasses；nonedrewhisweapon；allhuddledhelplesslyfrombeforethefaceofthebaresarkScandinavian。HisfirstblowsentMactogroundwithabrokenarm。HissecondbashedoutthebrainsofHemstead。Heturnedfromonetoanother，menacingandtrumpetinglikeawoundedelephant，exultinginhisrage。Buttherewasnocounsel，nolightofreason，inthatecstasyofbattle；andheshiedfromthepursuitofvictorytohailfreshblowsuponthesupineHemstead，sothatthestoolwasshatteredandthecabinrangwiththeirviolence。
Thesightofthatpost-mortemcrueltyrecalledCarthewtothelifeofinstinct，andhisrevolverwasinhandandhehadaimedandfiredbeforeheknew。Theear-burstingsoundofthereportwasaccompaniedbyayellofpain；thecolossuspaused，swayed，tottered，andfellheadlongonthebodyofhisvictim。
Intheinstantsilencethatsucceeded，thesoundoffeetpoundingonthedeckandinthecompanionleapedintohearing；andaface，thatofthesailorHoldorsen，appearedbelowthebulkheadsinthecabindoorway。Carthewshattereditwithasecondshot，forhewasamarksman。
“Pistols！”hecried，andchargedatthecompanion，Wicksathisheels，TommyandAmalufollowing。TheytrodthebodyofHoldorsenunderfoot，andflewup-stairsandforthintotheduskyblazeofasunsetredasblood。Thenumberswerestillequal，buttheFlyingScudsdreamednotofdefence，andfledwithoneaccordfortheforecastlescuttle。Brownwasfirstinflight；hedisappearedbelowunscathed；theChinamanfollowedhead-foremostwithaballinhisside；andtheothersshinnedintotherigging。
AfiercecomposuresettleduponWicksandCarthew，theirfightingsecondwind。TheypostedTommyattheforeandAmaluatthemaintoguardthemastsandshrouds，andgoingthemselvesintothewaist，pouredoutaboxofcartridgesondeckandfilledthechambers。Thepoordevilsaloftbleatedaloudformercy。Butthehourofanymercywasgoneby；thecupwasbrewedandmustbedrunkentothedregs；sincesomanyhadfallenallmustfall。Thelightwasbad，thecheaprevolversfouledandcarriedwild，thescreamingwretcheswereswifttoflattenthemselvesagainstthemastsandyardsorfindamomentaryrefugeinthehangingsails。Thefellbusinesstooklong，butitwasdoneatlast。HardytheLondonerwasshotontheforeroyalyard，andhunghorriblysuspendedinthebrails。
Wallen，theother，hadhisjawbrokenonthemaintop-gallantcrosstrees，andexposedhimself，shrieking，tillasecondshotdroppedhimonthedeck。
Thishadbeenbadenough，butworseremainedbehind。TherewasstillBrownintheforepeak。Tommy，withasuddenclamourofweeping，beggedforhislife。“Onemancan’thurtus。”hesobbed。“Wecan’tgoonwiththis。Ispoketohimatdinner。He’sanawfuldecentlittlecad。Itcan’tbedone。
Nobodycangointothatplaceandmurderhim。It’stoodamnedwicked。”
Thesoundofhissupplicationswasperhapsaudibletotheunfortunatebelow。
“Oneleft，andweallhang。”saidWicks。“Brownmustgothesameroad。”Thebigmanwasdeadlywhiteandtrembledlikeanaspen；andhehadnosoonerfinishedspeaking，thanhewenttotheship’ssideandvomited。
“Wecanneverdoitifwewait。”saidCarthew。“Nowornever。”andhemarchedtowardsthescuttle。
“No，no，no！”wailedTommy，clutchingathisjacket。
ButCarthewflunghimoff，andsteppeddowntheladder，hisheartrisingwithdisgustandshame。TheChinamanlayonthefloor，stillgroaning；theplacewaspitchdark。
“Brown！”criedCarthew，“Brown，whereareyou？”
Hisheartsmotehimforthetreacherousapostrophe，butnoanswercame。
Hegropedinthebunks：theywereallempty。Thenhemovedtowardstheforepeak，whichwashamperedwithcoilsofropeandsparechandleryingeneral。
“Brown！”hesaidagain。
“Here，sir。”answeredashakingvoice；andthepoorinvisiblecaitiffcalledonhimbyname，andpouredforthoutofthedarknessanendless，garrulousappealformercy。Asenseofdanger，ofdaring，hadalonenervedCarthewtoentertheforecastle；andherewastheenemycryingandpleadinglikeafrightenedchild。Hisobsequious“Here，sir。”hishorridfluencyofobtestation，madethemurdertenfoldmorerevolting。TwiceCarthewraisedthepistol，oncehepressedthetrigger(orthoughthedid)withallhismight，butnoexplosionfollowed；
andwiththattheleesofhiscourageranquiteout，andheturnedandfledfrombeforehisvictim。
Wickssatontheforehatch，raisedthefaceofamanofseventy，andlookedawordlessquestion。Carthewshookhishead。
Withsuchcomposureasamandisplaysmarchingtowardsthegallows，Wicksarose，walkedtothescuttle，andwentdown。
BrownthoughtitwasCarthewreturning，anddiscoveredhimself，halfcrawlingfromhisshelter，withanotherincoherentburstofpleading。Wicksemptiedhisrevolveratthevoice，whichbrokeintomouse-likewhimperingsandgroans。Silencesucceeded，andthemurdererranondecklikeonepossessed。
Theotherthreewerenowallgatheredontheforehatch，andWickstookhisplacebesidethemwithoutquestionaskedoranswered。Theysatclose，likechildreninthedark，andshookeachotherwiththeirshaking。Theduskcontinuedtofall；andtherewasnosoundbutthebeatingofthesurfandtheoccasionalhiccupofasobfromTommyHadden。
“God，iftherewasanothership！”criedCarthewofasudden。
Wicksstartedandlookedaloftwiththetrickofallseamen，andshudderedashesawthehangingfigureontheroyalyard。
“IfIwentaloft，I’dfall。”hesaidsimply。“I’mdoneup。”
ItwasAmaluwhovolunteered，climbedtotheverytruck，sweptthefadinghorizon，andannouncednothingwithinsight。
“Noodds。”saidWicks。“Wecan’tsleep。”
“Sleep！”echoedCarthew；anditseemedasifthewholeofShakespeare’s_Macbeth_thunderedatthegallopthroughhismind。
“Well，then，wecan’tsitandchitterhere。”saidWicks，“tillwe’vecleanedship；andIcan’tturntotillI’vehadgin，andthegin’sinthecabin，andwho’stofetchit？”
“Iwill。”saidCarthew，“ifanyonehasmatches。”
Amalupassedhimabox，andhewentaftanddownthecompanionandintothecabin，stumblinguponbodies。Thenhestruckamatch，andhislooksfellupontwolivingeyes。
