\"Yes，anddoitbeforetheChinamenseeyou。\"
\"But——butIdon’tunderstand。\"
Moransteppedtothequarterdeck，unslungthehammockinwhichWilburslept，andtossedittohim。
\"Reeveitupinthat;I’llpassyoualine，andwe’llhaulitaboard。Godsend，thoseverminyonderhavegotsmellsenoughoftheirownwithoutnoticingthis。Hurry，mate，I’lltalkafterward。\"
Wilburwentovertheside，andstandingasbesthecouldupontheslipperycarcass，dugoutthelumpandbounditupinthehammock。
\"Hoh！\"exclaimedMoran，withsuddenexultation。\"There’salotofit。That’sthebiggestlumpyet，I’llbebound。Isthatallthereis，mate？——lookcarefully。\"Hervoicehaddroppedtoawhisper。
\"Yes，yes;that’sall。Carefulnowwhenyouhaulup——Hoanghasgothiseyeonyou，andsohavetherestofthem。Whatdoyoucallit，anyhow？Whyareyousoparticularaboutit？Isitworthanything？\"
\"Idon’tknow——perhaps。We’llhavealookatit，anyway。\"
Moranhauledthestuffaboard，andWilburfollowed。
\"Whew！\"heexclaimedwithhalf-closedeyes。\"It’slikethestoryofSamsonandthedeadlion——thesweetcomingforthfromthestrong。\"
Theschoonerseemedtoswiminabathofperfumedair;themembraneofthenostrilsfairlyprinkledwiththesensation。
Moranunleashedthehammock，andgoingdownupononekneeexaminedthelumpattentively。
\"Itdidn’tseempossible，\"Wilburheardhersayingtoherself;
\"buttherecan’tbeanymistake。It’sthestuff，rightenough。
I’veheardofsuchthings，butthis——butthis——\"Sherosetoherfeet，tossingbackherhair。
\"Well，\"saidWilbur，\"whatdoyoucallit？\"
\"Thethingtodonow，\"returnedMoran，\"istogetclearofhereasquietlyandasquicklyaswecan，andtakethisstuffwithus。I
can’tstoptoexplainnow，butit’sbig——it’sbig。Mate，it’sbigastheBankofEngland。\"
\"Thosebeach-combersarerightontothegame，I’mafraid，\"saidWilbur。\"Look，they’rewatchingus。Thisstuffwouldsmellacrosstheocean。\"
\"Rotthebeach-combers！There’sabitofwind，thankGod，andwecandofourknotstotheirone，justletusgetclearonce。\"
Morandraggedthehammockbackintothecabin，and，returningupondeck，helpedWilburtocutawaythelasttricingtackle。Theschoonerrightedslowlytoanevenkeel。Meanwhilethejunkhadsetitsonelug-sailanditscrewhadrunoutthesweeps。Hoangtookthesteeringsweepandworkedthejunktoapositionrightacrossthe\"Bertha’s\"bows，somefiftyfeetahead。
\"They’rewatchingus，rightenough，\"saidWilbur。
\"Upyourmains’l，\"orderedMoran。Thepairsettheforeandmainsailswithgreatdifficulty。MorantookthewheelandWilburwentforwardtocastoffthelinebywhichtheschoonerhadbeentieduptooneofthewhale’sflukes。
\"Cutit！\"criedthegirl。\"Don’tstoptocastoff。\"
Therewasahailfromthebeach-combers;theportsweepsdippedandthejunkboreupnearer。
\"Hurry！\"shoutedMoran，\"don’tmindthem。Areweclearfor’ard——
what’sthetrouble？Something’sholdingher。\"Theschoonerlistedslowlytostarboardandsettledbythehead。
\"Allclear！\"criedWilbur。
\"There’ssomethingwrong！\"exclaimedMoran;\"she’ssettlingfor’ard。\"Hoanghailedtheschoonerasecondtime。
\"We’restillsettling，\"calledWilburfromthebows，\"what’sthematter？\"
\"Matterthatshe’stakingwater，\"answeredMoranwrathfully。
\"She’sstartedsomethingbelow，whatwithallthatliftinganddancingandtricingup。\"
Wilburranbacktothequarterdeck。
\"Thisisabadfix，\"hesaidtoMoran。\"Thosechapsarecomingaboardagain。They’reontosomething，and，ofcourse，atjustthismomentshebeginstoleak。\"
\"Theyareafterthatambergris，\"saidMoranbetweenherteeth。
\"Smelledit，ofcourse——theswine！\"
\"Ambergris？\"
\"Thestuffwefoundinthewhale。That’sambergris。\"
\"Well？\"
\"Well！\"shoutedMoran，exasperated。\"Doyouknowthatwehavefoundalumpthatwillweighcloseto250pounds，anddoyouknowthatambergrisissellinginSanFranciscoat$40anounce？Doyouknowthatwehavepickedupnearly$150，000rightouthereintheoceanandareinafairwaytoloseitall？\"
\"Can’twerunforit？\"
\"Runforitinaboatthat’stakingwaterlikeasack！Ourdory’sgone。Supposewegetclearofthejunk，andthe’Bertha’sank？
Thenwhat？Ifweonlyhadourcrewaboard;ifwewereonlytentotheirdozen——ifwewereonlysix——byJupiter！I’dfightthemforit。\"
Thetwoenormousredeyesofthejunkloomedalongsideandstaredoverintothe\"Bertha’s\"waist。Hoangandsevenofthecooliesswarmedaboard。
\"Whatnow？\"shoutedMoran，comingforwardtomeetthem，herscowlknottingherflashingeyestogether。\"Isthisshipyoursormine？
We’vedoneyourdirtyworkforyou。Iwantyouclearofmydeck。\"
Wilburstoodatherside，uncertainwhattodo，butreadyforanythingsheshouldattempt。
\"Itinkyoucatchumsometing，smellumprettybig，\"saidHoang，hisferretglancetwinklingabouttheschooner。
\"Icatchumnothing——nothingbutplentybadstink，\"saidMoran。
\"No，youdon’t！\"sheexclaimed，puttingherselfinHoang’swayashemadeforthecabin。Theotherbeach-comberscamecrowdingup;
Wilbureventhoughthesawoneofthemlooseninghishatchetinhisbelt。
\"Thisship’smine，\"criedMoran，backingtothecabindoor。
Wilburfollowedher，andtheChinamencloseddownuponthepair。
\"It’snotmuchuse，Moran，\"hemuttered。\"They’llrushusinaminute。\"
\"Buttheambergrisismine——ismine，\"sheanswered，nevertakinghereyesfromtheconfrontingcoolies。
\"Wefindumw’ale，\"saidHoang;\"younofindw’ale;himb’longtowe——eve’yt’inginumw’aleb’longtowe，savvy？\"
\"No，youpromisedusathirdofeverythingyoufound。\"
EvenintheconfusionofthemomentitoccurredtoWilburthatitwasquitepossiblethatatleasttwo-thirdsoftheambergrisdidbelongtothebeach-combersbyrightofdiscovery。Afterall，itwasthebeach-comberswhohadfoundthewhale。HecouldneverrememberafterwardwhetherornohesaidasmuchtoMoranatthetime。Ifhedid，shehadbeendeaftoit。Afuryofwrathanddesperationsuddenlyblazedinherblueeyes。Standingatherside，Wilburcouldhearherteethgrindinguponeachother。Shewasblindtoalldanger，animatedonlybyasenseofinjusticeandimposition。
HoangutteredasentenceinCantonese。Oneofthecooliesjumpedforward，andMoran’sfistmethiminthefaceandbroughthimtohisknees。ThencametherushWilburhadforeseen。HehadjusttimetocatchasightofMoranatgrappleswithHoangwhenalittlehatchetglintedoverhishead。Hestruckoutsavagelyintothethickofthegroup——andthenopenedhiseyestofindMoranwashingthebloodfromhishairashelayonthedeckwithhisheadinthehollowofherarm。Everythingwasquiet。Thebeach-
combersweregone。
\"Hello，what——what——whatisit？\"heasked，springingtohisfeet，hisheadswimmingandsmarting。\"Wehadarow，didn’twe？Didtheyhurtyou？Oh，Iremember;Igotacutoverthehead——oneoftheirhatchetmen。Didtheyhurtyou？\"
\"Theygottheloot，\"shegrowled。\"Filthyvermin！Andjusttomakeeverythingpleasant，theschooner’ssinking。\"
VIII
ARUNFORLAND
\"SINKING！\"exclaimedWilbur。
Moranwasalreadyonherfeet。\"We’llhavetobeachher，\"shecried，\"andwe’resixmilesout。Upy’rjib，mate！\"Thetwosetthejib，flying-jib，andstaysails。
Theforeandmainsailswerealreadydrawing，andunderallthespreadofhercanvasthe\"Bertha\"racedbacktowardtheshore。
Butbythetimeshewaswithintheheadofthebayhersternhadsettledtosuchanextentthattheforefootwasclearofthewater，thebowspritpointinghighintotheheavens。Moranwasatthewheel，herscowlthickerthanever，hereyesmeasuringthestretchofwaterthatlaybetweentheschoonerandtheshore。
\"She’llnevermakeitinGod’sworld，\"shemutteredasshelistenedtothewashofthewaterinthecabinunderherfeet。Inthehold，emptybarrelswereafloat，knockinghollowlyagainsteachother。\"We’reinabadway，mate。\"
\"Ifitcomestothat，\"returnedWilbur，surprisedtoseeherthuseasilydowncast，whowasusuallysoindomitable——\"ifitcomestothat，wecanswimforit——acoupleofplanks——\"
\"Swim？\"sheechoed;\"I’mnotthinkingofthat;ofcoursewecouldswim。\"
\"Whatthen？\"
\"Thesharks！\"
Wilbur’steethclickedsharplytogether。Hecouldthinkofnothingtosay。
Asthewatergainedbetweendeckstheschooner’sspeeddwindled，andatthesametimeassheapproachedtheshorethewind，shutoffbytheland，fellaway。Bythistimetheoceanwasnotfourinchesbelowthestern-rail。Twomilesawaywasthenearestsand-
spit。Wilburbrokeoutadistresssignalontheforemast，inthehopethatCharlieandthedesertersmightsendoffthedorytotheirassistance。Butthedeserterswerenowhereinsight。
\"Whatbecameofthejunk？\"hedemandedsuddenlyofMoran。Shemotionedtothewestwardwithherhead。\"Stilllyingout-side。\"
Twentyminutespassed。OnceonlyMoranspoke。
\"Whenshebeginstogo，\"shesaid，\"she’llgowitharush。Jumpprettywide，oryou’llgetcaughtinthesuction。\"
Thetwohadgivenupallhope。Moranheldgrimlytothewheelasamerematterofform。Wilburstoodatherside，hisclinchedfiststhrustintohispockets。Theeyesofbothwerefixedontheyellowlineofthedistantbeach。ByandbyMoranturnedtohimwithanoddsmile。
\"We’reastrangepairtodietogether，\"shesaid。Wilburmethereyesaninstant，butfindingnoreply，puthischinintheairasthoughhewouldhavetoldhershemightwellsaythat。
\"Astrangepairtodietogether，\"Moranrepeated;\"butwecandothatbetterthanwecouldhave\"——shelookedawayfromhim——\"couldhaveLIVEDtogether，\"shefinished，andsmiledagain。
\"Andyet，\"saidWilbur，\"theselastfewweekshereonboardtheschooner，wehavebeenthroughagooddeal——together。Idon’tknow，\"hewentonclumsily，\"Idon’tknowwhenI’vebeen——whenI’vehad——I’vebeenhappierthantheselastweeks。Itisqueer，isn’tit？Iknow，ofcourse，whatyou’llsay。I’vesaidittomyselfoftenoflate。Ibelongtothecityandtomylifethere，andyou——youbelongtotheocean。Ineverknewagirllikeyou——
neverknewagirlCOULDbelikeyou。Youdon’tknowhowextraordinaryitallseemstome。Youswearlikeaman，andyoudresslikeaman，andIdon’tsupposeyou’veeverbeenassociatedwithotherwomen;andyou’restrong——IknowyouareasstrongasI
am。YouhavenoideahowdifferentyouaretothekindofgirlI’veknown。ImaginemykindofgirlstandingupbeforeHoangandthosecutthroatbeach-comberswiththeirknivesandhatchets。
Maybeit’sbecauseyouaresounlikemykindofgirlthat——thatthingsareastheyarewithme。Idon’tknow。It’saqueersituation。AmonthorsoagoIwasatateainSanFrancisco，andnowI’maboardashark-fishingschoonersinkinginMagdalenaBay;
andI’mwithagirlthat——that——thatI——well，I’mwithyou，and，well，youknowhowitis——Imightaswellsayit——IloveyoumorethanIimaginedIevercouldloveagirl。\"
Moran’sfrowncamebacktoherforehead。
\"Idon’tlikethatkindoftalk，\"shesaid;\"Iamnotusedtoit，andIdon’tknowhowtotakeit。Believeme，\"shesaidwithahalflaugh，\"it’sallwasted。Inevercouldloveaman。I’mnotmadeformen。\"
\"No，\"saidWilbur，\"norforotherwomeneither。\"
\"Norforotherwomeneither。\"
Wilburfellsilent。InthatinstanthehadadistinctvisionofMoran’slifeandcharacter，shunningmenandshunnedofwomen，astrange，lonelycreature，solitaryastheoceanwhereonshelived，beautifulafterherfashion;asyetwithoutsex，proud，untamed，splendidinhersavage，primalindependence——athinguntouchedandunsulliedbycivilization。SheseemedtohimsomeBradamante，somemythicalBrunhilde，someValkyrieofthelegends，bornoutofseason，lostandunfamiliarinthisend-of-the-centurytime。Herpuritywasthepurityofprimevalglaciers。Hecouldeasilyseehowtosuchagirltheloveofamanwouldappearonlyinthelightofahumiliation——adegradation。AndyetsheCOULDlove，elsehowhadHEbeenabletoloveher？Wilburfoundhimself——evenatthatmoment——wonderinghowthethingcouldbedone——wonderingtojustwhatnotetheuntouchedcordswouldvibrate。Justhowsheshouldbeawakenedonemorningtofindthatshe——Moran，sea-rover，virginunconquered，withoutlaw，withoutland，withoutsex——was，afterall，awoman。
\"ByGod，mate！\"sheexclaimedofasudden。\"Thebarrelsarekeepingusup——theemptybarrelsinthehold。Hoh！we’llmakelandyet。\"
Itwastrue。Theemptyhogsheads，destinedforthestorageofoil，hadbeenforcedupbytheinfluxofthewatertotheroofofthehold，andwereactingassomanybuoys——theschoonercouldsinknolower。Anhourlater，thequarterdeckallawash，herbowthrownhighintotheair，listinghorriblytostarboard，the\"BerthaMillner\"tookgroundontheshoreofMagdalenaBayatabouttheturnofthetide。
Moranswungherselfovertheside，hipdeepinthewater，and，wadingashorewithaline，madefasttothehugeskullofawhalehalfburiedinthesandatthatpoint。
Wilburfollowed。Theschoonerhadgroundeduponthesouthernhornofthebayandlayeasilyonaspitofsand。Theycouldnotexaminethenatureoftheleakuntillowwaterthenextmorning。
\"Well，hereweare，\"saidMoran，herthumbsinherbelt。\"Whatnext？Wemaybeherefortwodays，weMAYbeherefortwoyears。
Italldependsuponhowbadaholeshehas。Havewe’putinforrepairs，’orhavewebeencastaway？Can’ttelltillto-morrowmorning。Meanwhile，I’mhungry。\"
Halfofthestoresoftheschoonerwerewater-soaked，butuponexaminationWilburfoundthatenoughremainedintacttoputthembeyondallfearforthepresent。
\"There’splentyofwaterupthecreek，\"hesaid，\"andwecansnareallthequailwewant;andthenthere’sthefishandabalone。
Evenifthestoresweregonewecouldmakeoutverywell。\"
Theschooner’scabinwasfullofwaterandWilbur’shammockwasgone，sothepairdecidedtocamponshore。Inthattorridweathertosleepintheopenairwasaluxury。
Ingreatgoodspiritsthetwosatdowntotheirfirstmealonland。Morancookedasupperthat，barringtheabsenceofcoffee，wasdelicious。Thewhiskeywashadfromaboard，andtheypledgedeachother，standingup，insomethingovertwostifffingers。
\"Moran，\"saidWilbur，\"yououghttohavebeenbornaman。\"
\"Atallevents，mate，\"shesaid——\"atallevents，I’mnotagirl。\"
\"NO！\"exclaimedWilbur，ashefilledhispipe。\"NO，you’rejustMoran，Moranofthe’LadyLetty。’\"
\"AndI’llstaythat，too，\"shesaiddecisively。
NeverhadaneveningbeenmorebeautifulinWilbur’seyes。Therewasnotabreathofair。Thestillnesswassoprofoundthatthefaintmurmurofthebloodbehindtheear-drumsbecameanoppression。Theoceantiptoedtowardthelandwithtinyrustlingsteps。Thewestwasonegiganticstainedwindow，theoceanfloorasolidshimmerofopalescence。Behindthem，sullenpurplesmarkedthehorizon，hoodedwithmountaincrests，andafteralongwhilethemoonshruggedagleamingshoulderintoview。
Wilbur，dressedinChinesejeansandblouse，withChinesewickersandalsonhisbarefeet，satwithhisbackagainstthewhale’sskull，smokingquietly。Foralongtimetherewasnoconversation;thenatlast：
\"No，\"saidMoraninalowvoice。\"ThisisthelifeI’mmadefor。
InsixyearsI’venotspentthreeconsecutiveweeksonland。NowthatEilert\"（shealwaysspokeofherfatherbyhisfirstname），\"nowthatEilertisdead，I’venotatie，notarelative，notevenafriend，andIdon’twishit。\"
\"Butthelonelinessofthelife，thesolitude，\"saidWilbur，\"that’swhatIdon’tunderstand。Diditeveroccurtoyouthatthebesthappinessisthehappinessthatoneshares？\"
Moranclaspedakneeinbothhandsandlookedouttosea。Sheneverworeahat，andtheredlightoftheafterglowwasturningherrye-huedhairtosaffron。
\"Hoh！\"sheexclaimed，herheavyvoicepitchedevenlowerthanusual。\"Whocouldunderstandorshareanyofmypleasures，orbehappywhenI’mhappy？And，besides，I’mhappiestwhenI’malone——I
don’twantanyone。\"
\"But，\"hesitatedWilbur，\"oneisnotalwaysalone。Afterall，you’reagirl，andmen，sailormenespecially，arebeastswhenit’saquestionofawoman——anunprotectedwoman。\"
\"I’mstrongerthanmostmen，\"saidMoransimply。\"Ifyou，forinstance，hadbeenlikesomemen，Ishouldhavefoughtyou。Itwouldn’thavebeenthefirsttime，\"sheadded，smoothingonehugebraidbetweenherpalms。
Wilburlookedatherwithintentcuriosity——notedagain，asifforthefirsttime，therough，blueoverallsthrustintotheshoes;
thecoarseflannelshirtopenatthethroat;thebeltwithitssheath-knife;herarmsbigandwhiteandtattooedinsailorfashion;herthick，muscularneck;herredface，withitspaleblueeyesandalmostmassivejaw;andherhair，herheavy，yellow，fragranthair，thatlayoverhershoulderandbreast，coilingandloopinginherlap。
\"No，\"hesaid，withalongbreath，\"Idon’tmakeitout。Iknewyouwereoutofmyexperience，butIbegintothinknowthatyouareoutofevenmyimagination。Youareright，youSHOULDkeeptoyourself。Youshouldbealone——yourmateisn’tmadeyet。Youaresplendidjustasyouare，\"whileunderhisbreathheadded，histeethclinching，\"andGod！butIloveyou。\"
Itwasgrowinglate，thestarswereallout，themoonridinghigh。
Moranyawned：
\"Mate，IthinkI’llturnin。We’llhavetobeatthatschoonerearlyinthemorning，andImakenodoubtshe’llgiveusplentytodo。\"Wilburhesitatedtoreply，waitingtotakehiscuefromwhatnextsheshouldsay。\"It’shotenoughtosleepwhereweare，\"sheadded，\"withoutgoingaboardthe’Bertha，’thoughwemighthaveacoupleofblanketsofftolieon。Thissand’sashardasaplank。\"
Withoutanswering，Wilburshowedheracoupleofblanket-rollshehadbroughtoffwhilehewasunloadingpartofthestoresthatafternoon。Theytookoneapieceandspreadthemonthesandbythebleachedwhale’sskull。Moranpulledoffherbootsandstretchedherselfuponherblanketwithabsoluteunconcern，herhandsclaspedunderherhead。Wilburrolleduphiscoatforapillowandsettledhimselfforthenightwithanassumedself-
possession。Therewasalongsilence。Moranyawnedagain。
\"Ipulledtheheeloffmybootthismorning，\"shesaidlazily，\"andI’vebeenlimpingallday。\"
\"Inoticedit，\"answeredWilbur。\"Kitchellhadanewpairaboardsomewhere，ifthey’renotspoiledbythewaternow。\"
\"Yes？\"shesaidindifferently;\"we’lllookthemupinthemorning。\"
Againtherewassilence。
\"Iwonder，\"shebeganagain，staringupintothedark，\"ifCharlietookthatfrying-panoffwithhimwhenhewent？\"
\"Idon’tknow。Heprobablydid。\"
\"Itwastheonlythingwehadtocookabalonesin。Makemethinktolookintothegalleyto-morrow……Thisground’sashardasnails，forallyourblankets……Well，good-night，mate;I’mgoingtosleep。\"
\"Good-night，Moran。\"
ThreehourslaterWilbur，whohadnotclosedhiseyes，satupandlookedatMoran，sleepingquietly，herheadinapalegloryofhair;lookedather，andthenaroundhimatthesilent，desertedland。
\"Idon’tknow，\"hesaidtohimself。\"AmIaright-mindedmanandathoroughbred，oramush-head，ormerelyaprudent，sensiblesortofchapthatvalueshisskinandbones？I’dbegladtoputanametomyself。\"Then，moreearnestlyheadded：\"DoIlovehertoomuch，ornotenough，orloveherthewrongway，orhow？\"Heleanedtowardher，soclosethathecouldcatchthesavorofherbreathandthesmellofherneck，warmwithsleep。Thesleeveofthecoarseblueshirtwasdrawnup，anditseemedtohimasifherbarearm，flungoutatfulllength，hadsomesweetaromaofitsown。Wilburdrewsoftlyback。
\"No，\"hesaidtohimselfdecisively;\"no，IguessIamathoroughbredafterall。\"Itwasonlythenthathewenttosleep。
Whenheawoketheseawaspinkwiththesunrise，andoneofthebayheadswasalldistortedandstratifiedbyamirage。Itwashotalready。Moranwassittingafewpacesfromhim，braidingherhair。
\"Hello，Moran！\"hesaid，rousingup;\"howlonghaveyoubeenup？\"
\"Sincebeforesunrise，\"shesaid;\"I’vehadabathinthecovewherethecreekrunsdown。Isawajack-rabbit。\"
\"SeenanythingofCharlieandtheothers？\"
\"They’vecampedontheothersideofthebay。Butlookyonder，\"
sheadded。
Thejunkhadcomeinovernight，andwasaboutamileandahalffromshore。
\"Thedeuce！\"exclaimedWilbur。\"Whataretheyafter？\"
\"Freshwater，Iguess，\"saidMoran，knottingtheendofabraid。
\"We’dbetterhavebreakfastinahurry，andturntoonthe’Bertha。’Thetideisgoingoutfast。\"
Whiletheybreakfastedtheykeptaneyeontheschooner，watchinghersidesandflanksasthewaterfellslowlyaway。
\"Don’tseeanythingverybadyet，\"saidWilbur。
\"It’ssomewhereinherstern，\"remarkedMoran。
Inanhour’stimethe\"BerthaMillner\"washighanddry，andtheycouldexamineherattheirleisure。ItwasMoranwhofoundtheleak。
\"Pshaw！\"sheexclaimed，withahalf-laugh，\"wecanstickthatupinhalfanhour。\"
Asingleplankhadstartedawayfromthestern-post;thatwasall。
OtherwisetheschoonerwasassoundasthedaysheleftSanFrancisco。MoranandWilburhadthedamagerepairedbynoon，nailingtheplankintoitsplaceandcaulkingtheseamswithlamp-
wick。Norcouldtheirmostcarefulsearchdiscoveranyfurtherinjury。
\"We’rereadytogo，\"saidMoran，\"sosoonasshe’llfloat。Wecandigawayaroundthebowshere，makefastalinetothatrockoutyonder，andwarpheroffatnexthightide。Hello！who’sthis？\"
ItwasCharlie。Whilethetwohadbeenatwork，hehadcomearoundtheshoreunobserved，andnowstoodatsomelittledistance，smilingatthemcalmly。
\"Well，whatdoyouwant？\"criedMoranangrily。\"Ifyouhadyourrights，myfriend，you’dbekeelhauled。\"
\"Itinkumvellyhotday。\"
\"Youdidn’tcomeheretosaythat。Whatdoyouwant？\"
\"Icomehabtalkee-talk。\"
\"Wedon’twanttohaveanytalkee-talkwithsuchverminasyou。
Getout！\"
Charliesatdownonthebeachandwipedhisforehead。
\"Icomebuyone-pieceebacon。Chinaboynohabgot。\"
\"Wearen’tsellingbacontodeserters，\"criedMoran;\"andI’lltellyouthis，youfilthylittlemonkey：Mr。WilburandIaregoinghome——backto’Frisco——thisafternoon;andwe’regoingtoleaveyouandtherestofyourviperstorotonthisbeach，ortobemurderedbybeach-combers，\"andshepointedouttowardthejunk。Charliedidnotevenfollowthedirectionofhergesture，andfromthisveryindifferenceWilburguessedthatitwaspreciselybecauseofthebeach-combersthattheMachiavellianChinamanhadwishedtotreatwithhisoldofficers。
\"Nohabgotbacon？\"hequeried，liftinghiseyebrowsinsurprise。
\"Plenty;butnotforyou。\"
Charlietookabuckskinbagfromhisblouseandcountedoutahandfulofsilverandgold。
\"Ibuyumnisitwo-pieceetobacco。\"
\"Lookhere，\"saidWilburdeliberately;\"don’tyoutrytoflim-flamus，Charlie。Weknowyoutoowell。Youdon’twantbaconandyoudon’twanttobacco。\"
\"Chinaboyheapplentymuchsick。Twoboyvellysick。Itinkumdieprettysoonto-molla。Youcatchumslop-chest;yougibmefive，sevenliverpill。Sabe？\"
\"I’lltellyouwhatyouwant，\"criedMoran，aimingaforefingerathim，pistolfashion;\"you’vegotabluefunkbecausethoseKai-
ginghbeach-combershavecomeintothebay，andyou’remorefrightenedofthemthanyouareoftheschooner;andnowyouwantustotakeyouhome。\"
\"Howmuchee？\"
\"Athousanddollars。\"
Wilburlookedatherinsurprise。Hehadexpectedarefusal。
\"Younohabgotliverpill？\"inquiredCharlieblandly。
Moranturnedherbackonhim。SheandWilburconferredinalowvoice。
\"We’dbettertakethemback，ifwedecentlycan，\"saidMoran。
\"Theschoonerisknown，ofcourse，in’Frisco。ShewentoutwithKitchellandacrewofcoolies，andshecomesbackwithyouandI
aboard，andifwetellthetruthaboutit，itwillsoundlikealie，andwe’llhavenoendoftrouble。Thenagain，canjustyouandIworkthe’Bertha’intoport？Inthesekindofairsit’splainwork，butsupposewehavedirtyweather？I’mnotsosure。\"
\"Igibyoutendollahfo’tenliverpill，\"saidCharlie。
\"WillyougiveusathousanddollarstosetyoudowninSanFrancisco？\"
Charlierose。\"Igoback。ItellumChinaboywhatyousay’boutliverpill。Bime-byIcomeback。\"
\"Thatmeanshe’lltakeourofferbacktohisfriends，\"saidWilbur，inalowvoice。\"Youbesthurrychop-chop，\"hecalledafterCharlie;\"wegohomeprettysoon！\"
\"Heknowsverywellwecan’tgetawaybeforehightideto-morrow，\"
saidMoran。\"He’lltakehistime。\"
LateronintheafternoonMoranandWilbursawasmallboatputofffromthejunkandmakealandingbythecreek。Thebeach-
combersweretakingonwater。Theboatmadethreetripsbeforeevening，butthebeach-combersmadenoshowofmolestingtheundefendedschooner，orinanywayinterferingwithCharlie’scampontheothersideofthebay。
\"No！\"exclaimedMoranbetweenherteeth，assheandWilburwerecookingsupper;\"no，theydon’tneedto;they’vegotaboutahundredandfiftythousanddollarsoflootonboard——OURloot，too！GoodGod！itgoesagainstthegrain！\"
Themoonroseconsiderablyearlierthatnight，andbytwelveo’clockthebaywasfloodedwithitselectricalwhiteness。WilburandMorancouldplainlymakeoutthejunktieduptothekelpoff-
shore。Buttowardoneo’clockWilburwasawakenedbyMoranshakinghisarm。
\"There’ssomethingwrongoutthere，\"shewhispered;\"somethingwrongwiththejunk。Hear’emsquealing？Look！look！look！\"shecriedofasudden;\"it’stheirturnnow！\"
Wilburcouldseethecrankjunk，withitsstaringredeyes，highsternandprow，asdistinctlyasthoughatnoonday。Ashewatched，itseemedasifagreatwavecaughthersuddenlyunderfoot。Sheheavedupbodilyoutofthewater，droppedagainwithasplash，roseagain，andagainfellbackintoherownripples，that，wideningfromhersides，brokecrisplyonthesandatWilbur’sfeet。
Thenthecommotionceasedabruptly。Thebaywasquietagain。Anhourpassed，thentwo。Themoonbegantoset。MoranandWilbur，weariedofwatching，hadturnedinagain，whentheywerestartledtowakefulnessbythecreakofoarlocksandthesoundofaboatgroundinginthesand。
Thecoolies——thedesertersfromthe\"BerthaMillner\"——werethere。
Charliecameforward。
\"Ge’lup！Ge’lup！\"hesaid。\"Junkallsmash！Kai-ginghcomeashore。Itinkhimwantcatchumschooner。\"
IX
THECAPTUREOFHOANG
\"Whatsmashedthejunk？Whatwreckedher？\"demandedMoran。
ThedesertingChinamenhuddledaroundCharlie，drawingclose，asiffindingcomfortinthefeelofeachother’selbows。
\"Nocantell，\"answeredCharlie。\"Himshake，thenlif’upallthesameaswe。Bime-bytoomuchlif’up;himsmashallto——Four-
pieceeChinamendlown。\"
\"Drown！Didanyofthemdrown？\"exclaimedMoran。
\"Four-pieceedlown，\"reiteratedCharliecalmly。\"One，thlee，five，nine，comeasho’。Himothernocome。\"
\"Wherearetheonesthatcameashore？\"askedWilbur。
Charliewavedahandbackintothenight。\"Himmakeumcamptopsideolehouse。\"
\"Thatoldwhaling-camp，\"promptedMoran。ThentoWilbur：\"Youremember——aboutahundredyardsnorththecreek？\"
Wilbur，MoranandCharliehaddrawnoffalittlefromthe\"BerthaMillner’s\"crew。Thelattersquattedinalinealongtheshore——
silent，reserved，lookingvaguelyseawardthroughthenight。
Moranspokeagain，herscowlthickening：
\"Whatmakesyouthinkthebeach-comberswantourschooner？\"
\"Himcatchumschoonersure！Himwantumboattogohome。Nocanget。\"
\"Let’sputoffto-night——rightaway，\"saidWilbur。
\"Lowtide，\"answeredMoran;\"andbesides——Charlie，didyouseethemclose？Wereyounearthem？\"
\"Nogomucheeclose。\"
\"Didtheyhavesomethingwiththem，reevedupinahammock——
somethingthatsmelledsweet？\"
\"Likeajoss-stick，forinstance？\"
\"Nosavvy;nocantell。Himtrycatchumschoonersure。HimvellybadChinaboy。SeeYupChinaboy，vellybad。Ib’longSamYup。Savvy？’！
\"Ah！theTongs？\"
\"Yas。ISamYup。Him，\"andhepointedtothe\"Bertha’s\"crew，\"SamYup。AllweSamYup;nisihim，\"andhewavedahandtowardthebeach-combers’camp;\"himSeeYup。Savvy？\"
\"It’saTongrow，\"saidWilbur。\"They’rebloodenemies，theSeeYupsandSamYups。\"
Moranfellthoughtful，diggingherboot-heelintothesand，herthumbshookedintoherbelt，herforeheadgatheredintoaheavyfrown。Therewasasilence。
\"Onething，\"shesaid，atlast;\"wecan’tgiveuptheschooner。
Theywouldtakeourstoresaswell，andthenwherearewe？
Marooned，byJove！Howfardoyousupposewearefromthenearesttown？Threehundredmileswouldn’tbeabadguess，andthey’vegottheloot——ourambergris——I’llsweartothat。Theydidn’tleavethataboardwhenthejunksank。\"
\"Lookhere，Charlie，\"shesaid，turningtotheChinaman。\"Ifthebeach-comberstaketheschooner——the’BerthaMillner’——fromuswe’llbelefttostarveonthisbeach。\"
\"Itinkumyass。\"
\"Howarewegoingtogethome？Areyougoingtoletthemdoit？
Areyougoingtoletthemhaveourschooner？\"
\"Itinknocanhave。\"
\"Lookhere，\"shewenton，withsuddenenergy。\"Thereareonlynineofthemnow，tooureight。We’reabouteven。Wecanfightthoseswine。Iknowwecan。Ifwejumpedtheircampandrushedthemhard，believeme，wecouldrunthemintothesea。Mate，\"shecried，suddenlyfacingWilbur，\"areyougame？Haveyougotbloodinyou？Thosebeach-comberesaregoingtoattackusto-morrow，beforehightide——that’sflat。There’sgoingtobeafightanyway。Wecan’tletthemhavetheschooner。It’sstarvationforusifwedo。
\"Theymeantomakeadashforthe’Bertha，’andwe’vegottofightthemoff。Ifthere’sanyattackingtobedoneIproposetodoit！
Iproposewejumptheircampbeforeitgetslight——now——to-night——
rightaway——runinonthemthere，takethembysurprise，doforoneortwoofthemifwehaveto，andgetthatambergris。Thencutbacktotheschooner，upoursails，andwaitforthetidetofloatusoff。Wecandoit——Iknowwecan。Mate，willyoubackmeup？\"
\"Backyouup？YoubetI’llbackyouup，Moran。But——\"Wilburhesitated。\"Wecouldfightthemsomuchmoretoadvantagefromthedeckoftheschooner。Whynotwaitforthemaboard？Wecouldhaveoursailsup，anyhow，andwecouldkeepthebeach-combersofftillthetiderosehighenoughtodrivethemback。Whynotdothat？\"
\"Itinkbes’waittopsideboat，\"assentedCharlie。
\"Yes;whynot，Moran？\"
\"Because，\"shoutedthegirl，\"they’vegotourloot。Idon’tproposetobeplunderedof$150，000ifIcanhelpit。\"
\"Wassadat？\"demandedCharlie。\"Hunderfifteetlousandyouhabgot？\"
\"Ididhaveit——wehadit，themateandI。Wetricedaspermwhaleforthebeach-combers，andwhentheythoughttheyhadeverythingoutofhimwefoundalumpofambergrisinhimthatwillweighclosetotwohundredpounds。Nowlookhere，Charlie。
Thebeach-combershavegotthestuff。It’smine——I’mgoingtohaveitback。Here’sthelay。Yourmencanfight——youcanfightyourself。We’llmakeitabusinessproposition。Helpmetogetthatambergris，andifwegetitI’llgiveeachoneofthemen$1，000，andI’llgiveyou$1，500。Youcantakethatupandbeindependentrichtherestofyourlife。Youcanchuckitandrotonthisbeach，forit’sfightorlosetheschooner;youknowthataswellasIdo。Ifyou’vegottofightanyhow，whynotfightwhereit’sgoingtopaythemost？\"
Charliehesitated，pursinghislips。
\"Howaboutthis，Moran？\"Wilburbrokeforthnow，unheardbyCharlie。\"I’vejustbeenthinking;havewegotarighttothisambergris，afterall？Thebeach-combersfoundthewhale。Itwastheirs。Howhavewetherighttotaketheambergrisawayfromthemanymorethanthespermandtheoilandthebone？It’stheirs，ifyoucometothat。Idon’tknowaswe’vetherighttoit。\"
\"Darnyou！\"shoutedMoraninablazeoffury，\"righttoit，righttoit！IfIhaven’t，whohas？Whofoundit？Thosedirtymonkeysmighthavestoodsomeshowtoaclaimifthey’dheldtotheone-
thirdbargain，andofferedtodivvywithuswhentheygotmewhereIcouldn’thelpmyself。Idon’tsayI’dgiveinnowiftheyhad——
giveintolet’emwalkoffwithahundredthousanddollarsthatI’vegotasgoodaclaimtoastheyhave！Butthey’vesavedmethetroubleofarguingthequestion。They’vetakenitall，all！Andthere’snobargaininthegameatallnow。Nowthestuffbelongstothestrongestofus，andI’mgladofit。Theythoughttheywerethestrongestandnowthey’regoingtofindout。We’redumpeddownhereonthisGod-forsakensand，andthere’snolawandnopolicemen。Thestrongestofusaregoingtoliveandtheweakestaregoingtodie。I’mgoingtoliveandI’mgoingtohavemyloot，too，andI’mnotgoingtosplitfinehairswiththeserobbersatthistimeofday。I’mgoingtohaveitall，andthat’sthelawyou’reunderinthiscase，myrighteousfriend！\"
Sheturnedherbackuponhim，spinningarounduponherheel。andWilburfeltashamedofhimselfandproudofher。
\"Igotalkee-talktoChinaboy，\"saidCharlie，comingup。
ForaboutfiveminutestheChinamenconferredtogether，squattinginacircleonthebeach。Moranpacedupanddownbythestrandeddory。Wilburleanedagainstthebleachedwhale-skull，hishandsinhispockets。Oncehelookedathiswatch。Itwasnearlyoneo’clock。
\"Alllight，\"saidCharlie，comingupfromthegroupatlast;\"himfightplenty。\"
\"Now，\"exclaimedMoran，\"we’venotimetowaste。Whatarmshavewegot？\"
\"We’vegotthecutting-inspades，\"saidWilbur;\"there’sfiveofthem。They’renearlytenfeetlong，andthebladesareassharpasrazors;youcouldn’twantbetterpikes。\"
\"That’sanidea，\"returnedMoran，evidentlywillingtoforgetheroutburstofamomentbefore，perhapsalreadysorryforit。Thepartytookstockoftheirweapons，andfivehugecutting-inspades，aheavyknifefromthegalley，andarevolverofdoubtfuleffectivenessweredividedamongthem。Thecrewtookthespades，Charlietheknife，andWilburtherevolver。Moranhadherownknife，ahaftlessdirk，suchasisaffectedbyallNorwegians，whetherlandsmenorsailors。TheywereexaminingthisarmamentandMoranwassuggestingaplanofattack，whenHoang，theleaderofthebeach-combers，andoneotherChinamanappearedsomelittledistancebelowthemonthebeach。Themoonwaslowandtherewasnogreatlight，butthetwobeach-comberscaughttheflashofthepointsofthespades。Theyhaltedandglancednarrowlyandsuspiciouslyatthegroup。
\"Beasts！\"mutteredMoran。\"Theyareuptothegame——there’snosurprisingthemnow。Talktohim，Charlie;seewhathewants。\"
Moran，Wilbur，andCharliecamepartofthewaytowardHoangandhisfellow，andpausedsomefifteenfeetdistant，andalongcolloquyensued。Itsoonbecameevident，however，thatinrealityHoangwantednothingofthem，thoughwithgreatearnestnessheassertedhiswillingnesstocharterthe\"BerthaMillner\"backtoSanFrancisco。
\"That’snothisgameatall，\"saidMorantoWilbur，inalowtone，hereyesneverleavingthoseofthebeach-comber。\"He’sprettysurehecouldseizethe’Bertha’andneverpayusastiver。
They’vecomedowntospyonus，andthey’redoingit，too。
There’snogoodtryingtorushthatcampnow。They’llgobackandtellthecrewthatweknowtheirlay。\"
Itwasstillverydark。Nearthehulkofthebeached\"BerthaMillner\"weregroupedhercrew，eacharmedwithalongandlance-
likecutting-inspade，watchingandlisteningtotheconferenceofthechiefs。Themoon，almostdown，hadflushedblood-red，violentlystreakingthegray，smoothsurfaceofthebaywithherreflection。Thetidewasfarout，ripplingquietlyalongthereachesofwetsand。Inthepausesoftheconferencethevast，mufflingsilenceshutdownwiththeabruptnessofavalvesuddenlyclosed。
Howithappened，justwhomadethefirstmove，inpreciselywhatmannertheactionhadbeenplanned，orwhatleduptoit，Wilburcouldnotafterwardsatisfactorilyexplain。Therewasarushforward——herememberedthatmuch——adullthuddingoffeetovertheresoundingbeachsurface，amoment’swrithingstrugglewithahalf-nakedbrownfigurethatusedknifeandnailandtooth，andthenthemufflingsilenceagain，brokenonlybythesoundoftheirownpanting。InthatwhirlofswiftactionWilburcouldreconstructbuttwobriefpictures：theChinaman，Hoang’scompanion，flyinglikeonepossessedalongtheshore;Hoanghimselfflungheadlongintothearmsofthe\"Bertha’s\"coolies，andMoran，hereyesblazing，herthickbraidsflying，brandishingherfistassheshoutedatthetopofherdeepvoice，\"We’vegotyou，anyhow！\"
TheyhadtakenHoangprisoner，whetherbytreacheryornot，Wilburdidnotexactlyknow;and，evenifunfairmeanshadbeenused，hecouldnotrepressafeelingofdelightandsatisfactionashetoldhimselfthatintheverybeginningofthefightthatwastofollowheandhismateshadgainedthefirstadvantage。
Astheactionofthatnight’seventsbecamemoreandmoreaccelerated，WilburcouldnotbutnoticethechangeinMoran。ItwasveryevidentthattheoldNorsefightingbloodofherwasallastir;brutal，merciless，savagebeyondallcontrol。Asortofobsessionseizeduponheratthenearapproachofbattle，afrenzyofactionthatwascheckedbynothing——thatwasinsensibletoallrestraint。Attimesitwasimpossibleforhimtomakeherhearhim，orwhensheheardtounderstandwhathewassaying。Hervisioncontracted。Itwasevidentthatshecouldnotseedistinctly。Wilburcouldnolongerconceiveofherasawomanofthedaysofcivilization。Shewaslapsingbacktotheeighthcenturyagain——totheVikings，thesea-wolves，theBerserkers。
\"Nowyou’regoingtotalk，\"shecriedtoHoang，astheboundChinamansatuponthebeach，leaninghisbackagainstthegreatskull。\"Charlie，askhimiftheysavedtheambergriswhenthejunkwentdown——ifthey’vegotitnow？\"CharlieputthequestioninChinese，butthebeach-comberonlytwinkledhisviciouseyesuponthemandheldhispeace。Withthefullsweepofherarm，herfistclinchedtilltheknuckleswhitened，Moranstruckhimintheface。
\"Nowwillyoutalk？\"shecried。Hoangwipedthebloodfromhisfaceuponhisshoulderandsethisjaws。Hedidnotanswer。
\"YouwilltalkbeforeI’mdonewithyou，myfriend;don’tgetanywrongnotionsinyourheadaboutthat，\"Morancontinued，herteethclinched。\"Charlie，\"sheadded，\"isthereafileaboardtheschooner？\"
\"Itinkumyass，bosshabgotfile。\"
\"Inthetool-chest，isn’tit？\"Charlienodded，andMoranorderedittobefetched。
\"Ifwe’retofightthatcrowd，\"shesaid，speakingtoherselfandinarapidvoice，thickfromexcitementandpassion，\"we’vegottoknowwherethey’vehidtheloot，andwhatweaponsthey’vegot。Iftheyhavearifleorashotgunwiththem，it’sgoingtomakeabigdifferenceforus。Theotherfellowescapedandhasgonebacktowarntherest。It’sfightnow，andnomistake。\"
TheChinamanwhohadbeensentaboardtheschoonerreturned，carryingalong，rathercoarse-grainedfile。Morantookitfromhim。
\"Now，\"shesaid，standinginfrontofHoang，\"I’llgiveyouonemorechance。Answerme。Didyoubringofftheambergris，youbeast，whenyourjunksank？Whereisitnow？Howmanymenhaveyou？Whatarmshaveyougot？Haveyourmengotarifle？——Charlie，putthatalltohiminyourlingo，soastomakesurethatheunderstands。Tellhimifhedon’ttalkI’mgoingtomakehimverysick。\"
CharlieputthequestionsinChinese，pausingaftereachone。
Hoangheldhispeace。
\"Igaveyoufairwarning，\"shoutedMoranangrily，pointingathimwiththefile。\"Willyouanswer？\"
\"Himnotellnuttin，\"observedCharlie。
\"Fetchacordhere，\"commandedMoran。Thecordwasbrought，anddespiteHoang’sstrugglesandwrithingsthefilewasthrustend-
waysintohismouthandhisjawsboundtightlytogetheruponitbymeansofthecordpassedoverhisheadandunderhischin。Somefourinchesofthefileportrudedfromhislips。Morantookthisendanddrewitoutbetweenthebeach-comber’steeth，thenpusheditbackslowly。
ThehideousraspoftheoperationturnedWilbur’sbloodcoldwithinhim。Helookedaway——outtosea，downthebeach——anywhere，sothathemightnotseewhatwasgoingforward。Butthepersistentgrindandscrapestillassaultedhisears。Heturnedaboutsharply。
\"I——I——I’llgodownthebeachhereaways，\"hesaidquickly。\"I
can’tstand——I’llkeepwatchtoseeifthebeach-comberscomeup。\"
AfewminuteslaterheheardCharliehailinghim。
\"Chin-chinheapplentynow，\"saidhe，withagrin，asWilburcameup。
Hoangsatonthesandinthemidstofthecircle。Thefileandcoilofropelayonthegroundnearby。Thebeach-comberwastalkinginahigh-keyedsing-song，butwithalisp。HetoldthempartlyinpigeonEnglishandpartlyinCantonese，whichCharlietranslated，thattheirmenwereeightinnumber，andthattheyhadintendedtoseizetheschoonerthatnight，butthatprobablyhisowncapturehaddelayedtheirplans。Theyhadnorifle。A
shotgunhadbeenonboard，buthadgonedownwiththesinkingofthejunk。Theambergrishadbeencutintotwolumps，andwouldbefoundinacoupleofoldflour-sacksinthesternoftheboatinwhichheandhismenhadcomeashore。Theywereallarmedwiththeirlittlehatchets。Hethoughttwoofthemencarriedknivesaswell。Therewasneitherpistolnorrevolveramongthem。
\"Itseemstome，\"saidWilbur，\"thatwe’vegotthelongend。\"
\"Wecatchumboss，too！\"saidCharlie，pointingtoHoang。
\"Andwearebetterarmed，\"assentedMoran。\"We’vegotthecutting-inspades。\"
\"Andtherevolver，ifitwillshootanyfurtherthanitwillkick。\"
\"They’llgiveusallthefightwewant，\"declaredMoran。
\"Oh，himKai-gingh，himfightallsamedevil。\"
\"Givethemenbrandy，Charlie，\"commandedMoran。\"We’llrushthatcamprightaway。\"
Thedemijohnofspiritswasbroughtdownfromthe\"Bertha\"andpassedaround，WilburandMorandrinkingfromthetincup，thecooliesfromthebottle。Hoangwasfetteredandlockedinthe\"Bertha’s\"cabin。
\"Now，then，areweready？\"criedMoran。
\"Itinkalllight，\"answeredCharlie。
Thepartysetoffdownthebeach。Themoonhadlongsincegonedown，andthedawnwaswhiteningovertheeasternhorizon。
Landward，raggedblanketsofmorningmistlaycloseinthehollowshereandthere。Itwasprofoundlystill。Thestarswerestillout。ThesurfaceofMagdalenaBaywassmoothasasheetofgraysilk。
Twentyminutespassed，halfanhour，anhour。Thepartytrampedsteadilyforward，Moran，Wilbur，andCharlieleading，thecooliesclosebehindcarryingthecutting-inspadesovertheirshoulders。
Slowlyandinsilencetheymadethehalfcircuitofthebay。The\"BerthaMillner\"wasfarbehindthembynow，avaguegraymassintheearlymorninglight。
\"Didyoueverfightbefore？\"MoransuddenlydemandedofCharlie。
\"OnetimeIfightplentymuchinSanFlanciscoinWashingtonstleet。FightumSeeYups。\"
Anotherhalf-hourpassed。Attimeswhentheyhaltedtheybegantohearthefaintmurmurofthecreek，justbeyondwhichwasthebrokenandcrumblingshanty，relicofanoldPortuguesewhaling-
camp，wherethebeach-comberswerecamped。AtCharlie’ssuggestionthepartymadeacircuit，describingahalfmoon，tolandward，soastocomeoutupontheenemyshelteredbythesand-
dunes。Twentyminuteslatertheycrossedthecreekaboutfourhundredyardsfromtheshore。Heretheyspreadoutintoalongline，and，keepinganintervalofaboutfifteenfeetbetweeneachofthem，movedcautiouslyforward。Theunevennessofthesand-
breakshidtheshorefromview，butMoran，Wilbur，andCharlieknewthatbykeepingthecreekupontheirlefttheywouldcomeoutdirectlyuponthehouse。
AfewmomentslaterCharliehelduphishand，andthemenhalted。
Thenoiseofthecreekchatteringintothetidewaterofthebaywasplainlyaudiblejustbeyond;aridgeofsand，coveredthinlywithsage-brush，andafaintcolumnofsmokeroseintotheairovertheridgeitself。Theywereclosein。Thecoolieswerehalted，anddroppingupontheirhandsandknees，thethreeleaderscrawledtothetopofthebreak。Shelteredbyacoupleofsage-
bushesandlyingflattotheground，Wilburlookedoveranddownuponthebeach。Thefirstobjecthemadeoutwasacrazy，rooflesshouse，builtofdriftwood，thechinksplasteredwith’dobemud，thedoorfallenin。
Beyond，onthebeach，wasaflat-bottomeddingy，unpaintedandfoulwithdirt。Butallaroundthehousethesandhadbeenscoopedandpiledtoformalowbarricade，andbehindthisbarricadeWilbursawthebeach-combers。Therewereeightofthem。
Theywerealertandready，theirhatchetsintheirhands。Thegazeofeachofthemwasfixeddirectlyuponthesand-breakwhichshelteredthe\"BerthaMillner’s\"officersandcrew。TheyseemedtoWilburtolookhimstraightintheeye。Theyneithermovednorspoke。Thesilenceandabsolutelackofmotiononthepartofthesesmall，half-nakedChinamen，withtheirape-likemuzzlesandtwinklingeyes，wasominous。
Therecouldbenolongeranydoubtsthatthebeach-combershadknownoftheirenemies’movementsandwereperfectlyawareoftheirpresencebehindthesand-break。Moranrosetoherfeet，andWilburandCharliefollowedherexample。
\"There’snousehiding，\"shesaid;\"theyknowwe’rehere。\"
Charliecalledupthecrew。Thetwopartieswererangedfacetoface。OvertheeasternrimofthePacificthebluewhitenessoftheearlydawnwasturningtoadull，roseategoldatthecoreofthesunrise。TheheadlandsofMagdalenaBaystoodblackagainstthepaleglow;overhead，thegreaterstarsstillshone。Themonotonous，faintrippleofthecreekwastheonlysound。Itwasabout3：30o’clock。
X
ABATTLE
Wilburhadimaginedthatthefightwouldbehardlymorethanawildrushdowntheslopeofthebeach，adashoverthebeach-
combers’breastworksofsand，andabriefhand-to-handscrimmagearoundtheoldcabin。Inallaccountshehadeverreadofsuchaffairs，andinallideashehadentertainedonthesubject，thishadalwaysbeenthecase。Thetwobodieshadshockedtogetherlikeacollegerush，therehadbeenfiveminutes’playofknifeandclubandgun，aconfusedwhirlofdustandsmoke，andallwasoverbeforeonehadtimeeithertothinkorbeafraid。Butnothingofthekindhappenedthatmorning。
The\"BerthaMillner’s\"crew，inalongline，Moranatoneend，Wilburattheother，andCharlieinthecentre，cameontowardthebeach-combers，stepbystep。Therewaslittleoutcry。Eachcontestantsingledouthisenemy，andmadeslowlyforhimwitheyesfixedandweaponready，regardlessofthemovementsofhismates。
\"Seeanyriflesamongthem，Charlie？\"shoutedMoran，suddenlybreakingthesilence。
\"No，Itinknohabgot，\"answeredCharlie。
Wilburtookanotherstepforwardandcockedhisrevolver。Oneofthebeach-combersshoutedoutsomethinginangryvernacular，andCharlieinstantlyresponded。Allthistimethelinehadbeenslowlyadvancingupontheenemy，andWilburbegantowonderhowlongthatheartbreakingsuspensewastocontinue。Thiswasnotatallwhathehadimagined。Alreadyhewaswithintwentyfeetofhisman，couldseetheevilglintofhisslant，smalleye，andtheshineofhisyellowbody，nakedtothebelt。Stillfootbyfoottheforwardmovementcontinued。TheChineseoneithersidehadbegunexchanginginsults;thestill，hotairofthetropicdawnwasvibrantwiththeCantonesemonosyllablestossedbackandforthliketennis-ballsoverthelowsandrampart。Thethingwasdegeneratingintoafarce——the\"Bertha’s\"Chinamenwouldnotfight。
Backthere，undertheshelteroftheschooner，itwasallverywelltotalk，andtheyhadbeenverybravewhentheyhadallflungthemselvesuponHoang。Here，facetofacewiththeenemy，thesunstrikingoffheliographflashesfromtheirknivesandspades，itwasavastlydifferentmatter。Thething，toWilbur’smind，shouldhavebeendonesuddenlyifitwastobedoneatall。Thebestcoursenowwastoreturntocampandtrysomeotherplan。
CharlieshoutedadirectiontohiminpigeonEnglishthathedidnotunderstand，butheansweredallright，andmovedforwardanotherstepsoastobeinlinewiththecoolieathisleft。
Theliquorthathehaddrunkbeforestartingbegansuddenlytoaffecthim，yetheknewthathisheadwasyetclear。Hecouldnotbringhimselftorunawaybeforethemall，buthewouldhavegivenmuchtohavediscoveredagoodreasonforpostponingthefight——iffighttherewastobe。
Herememberedthecockedrevolverinhishand，and，suddenlyraisingit，firedpoint-blankathisman，notfifteenfeetaway。
Thehammersnappedonthenipple，butthecartridgedidnotexplode。WilburturnedtotheChinamannexthiminline，exclaimingexcitedly：
\"Here，say，haveyougotaknife——somethingIcanfightwith？Thisgun’snogood。\"
TherewasashoutfromMoran：
\"Lookout，heretheycome！\"
Twoofthebeach-comberssuddenlysprangoverthesandbreastworksandrantowardCharlie，theirknivesheldlowinfrontofthem，readytorip。
\"Shoot！shoot！shoot！\"shoutedMoranrapidly。
