A Man to His Mate Page 3

  CHAPTER III

  TARGET PRACTISE

  The _Karluk_ was an eighty-five-ton schooner, Gloster Fisherman type,with a length of ninety and a beam of twenty-five feet. Her enormousstretch of canvas, spread to the limit on all possible occasions byCaptain Simms, was offset by the pendulum of lead that made up her keel,and she could slide through the seas at twelve knots on her best pointof sailing--reaching--the wind abaft her beam.

  After Rainey had demonstrated at the wheel that he had the mastery ofher and had shown that he possessed sea-legs, a fair amount of seacraftand, what the sailors did not possess, initiative, Captain Simmsappointed him second mate.

  "We don't carry one as a rule," the skipper said. "But it'll give you arating and the right to eat in the cabin." He had not brought up thesubject of Rainey's kidnapping, and Rainey let it go. There was no usearguing about the inevitable. The rating and the cabin fare seemedoffered as an apology, and he was willing to accept it.

  Carlsen acted as first mate, and Rainey had to acknowledge himefficient. He fancied the man must have been a ship's surgeon, and sopicked up his seamanship. After a few days Carlsen, save for taking noonobservations with the skipper and working out the reckoning, left hisduties largely to Rainey, who was glad enough for the experience. Asailor named Hansen was promoted to acting-quartermaster, and relievedRainey. Carlsen spent most of his time attendant on the girl or chattingwith the hunters, with whom he soon appeared on terms of intimacy.

  The hunters esteemed themselves above the sailors, as they were, inintelligence and earning capacity. The forecastlemen acted, on occasion,as boat-steerers and rowers for the hunters, each of whom had his ownboat from which to shoot the cruising seals.

  There were six hunters and twelve sailors, outside of a generalroustabout and butt named "Sandy," who cleaned up the forecastle and thehunters' quarters, where they messed apart, and helped Tamada, the cook,in the galley with his pots and dishes. But now there was no work inprospect for the hunters, and they lounged on deck or in the 'midshipquarters, spinning yarns or playing poker. They were after gold thistrip, not seals.

  "'Cordin' to the agreement," Lund said to Rainey, "the gold's to besplit into a hundred shares. One for each sailorman, an' they chip infor the boy. Two for the hunters, two for the cook, four for Bergstrom,the first mate, who died at sea. Twenty for 'ship's share.' Fifty sharesto be split between Simms an' me."

  "What's the 'ship's share'?" asked Rainey.

  "Represents capital investment. Matter of fact, it belongs to the gal,"said Lund. "Simms gave her the _Karluk_. It's in her name with theinsurance."

  "Then he and his daughter get forty-five shares, and you onlytwenty-five?"

  "You got it right," grinned Lund. "Simms is no philanthropist. It wa'n'tso easy for me to git enny one to go in with me, son. I ain't the firstman to come trailin' in with news of a strike. An' I had nothin' to showfor it. Not even a color of gold. Nothin' but the word of a dead Aleut,my own jedgment, an' my own sight of an island I never landed on. Matterof fact, Honest Simms was the only one who didn't laff at me outright.It was on'y his bad luck made him try a chance at gold 'stead of keepin'after pelts.

  "An' we had a hard an' tight agreement drawn up on paper, signed,witnessed an' recorded. 'Course it holds him as well as it holds me, buthe gits the long end of _that_ stick. W'en I read, or got it read to me,in the Seattle _News-Courier_, that the _Karluk_ was listed as 'Arrived'in San Francisco, it was all I could do to git carfare an' grub money.If I hadn't bin blind, an' some of 'em half-way human to'ards a man withhis lights out, I'd never have raised it. I'd have got here someways,matey, if I'd had to walk, but I'd have got here a bit late. Then I'dhave had to wait till Simms got back ag'in--an' mebbe starved to death.

  "But I'm here an' I've got some say-so. One thing, you're goin' to gitBergstrom's share. I don't give a damn where the doctor comes in. If hemarries the gal he'll git her twenty shares, ennyway. Though he ain'tmarried her yet. And I ain't through with Simms yet," he added, with anemphasis that was a trifle grim, Rainey thought.

  "The crew, hunters an' sailors, don't seem over glad to see me back,"Lund went on. "Mebbe they figgered their shares 'ud be bigger. Mebbe thedoc's queered me. He's pussy-footin' about with 'em a good deal. ButI'll talk with you about that later. It's me an' you ag'in' the rest of'em, seems to me, Rainey. The doc's aimin' to be the Big Boss aboardthis schooner. He's got the skipper buffaloed. But not me, not by ajugful."

  He slammed his big fist against the side of the bunk so viciously thatit seemed to jar the cabin. The blow was typical of the man, Raineydecided. He felt for Lund not exactly a liking, but an attraction, acertain compelled admiration. The giant was elemental, with a drivingforce inside him that was dynamic, magnetic. What a magnificent piratehe would have made, thought Rainey, looking at his magnificentproportions and considering the crude philosophies that cropped out inhis talk.

  "I'm in life for the loot of it, Rainey," Lund declared. "Food an' drinkto tickle my tongue an' fill my belly, the woman I happen to want, an'bein' able to buy ennything I set my fancy on. The answer to that isGold. With it you can buy most enny thing. Not all wimmen, I'll grantyou that. Not the kind of woman I'd want for a steady mate. Thet's onething I've found out can't be bought, my son, the honor of a goodwoman. An' thet's the sort of woman I'm lookin' for.

  "I reckon yo're raisin' yore eyebrows at that?" he challenged Rainey."But the other kind, that'll sell 'emselves, 'll sell you jest asquick--an' quicker. I'd wade through hell-fire hip-deep to git the rightkind--an' to hold her. An' I'll buck all hell to git what's comin' to mein the way of luck, or go down all standin' tryin'. This is my gold, an'I'm goin' to handle it. If enny one tries to swizzle me out of it I'mgoin' to swizzle back, an' you can lay to that. Not forgettin' them thatstands by me."

  Between Lund and Simms there existed a sort of armed truce. No openreference was made to the desertion of Lund on the floe. But Rainey knewthat it rankled in Lund's mind. The five, Peggy Simms, her father,Carlsen, Lund and Rainey, ostensibly messed together, but Rainey'sduties generally kept him on deck until Carlsen had sufficientlycompleted his own meal to relieve him. By that time the girl and thecaptain had left the table.

  Lund invariably waited for Rainey. Tamada kept the food hot for them.And served them, Lund making good play with spoon or fork and a piece ofbread, the Japanese cutting up his viands conveniently beforehand.

  To Rainey, Tamada seemed the hardest worked man aboard ship. He hadthree messes to cook and he was busy from morning until night,efficient, tireless and even-tempered. The crew, though theyacknowledged his skill, were Californians, either by birth or adoption,and the racial prejudice against the Japanese was apparent.

  A week of good wind was followed by dirty weather. The _Karluk_ proved agood fighter, though her headway was materially lessened by contrarywind and sea, and the persistence and increasing opposition of the stormseemed to have a corresponding effect upon Captain Simms.

  He grew daily more irritable and morose, even to his daughter. Only thedoctor appeared able to get along with him on easy terms, and Raineynoticed that, to Carlsen, the skipper seemed conciliatory even todeference.

  Peggy Simms watched her father with worried eyes. The curious, tarnishedlook of his tanned skin grew until the flesh seemed continually dry andof an earthy color; his lips peeled, and more than once he shook as ifwith a chill.

  On the eleventh day out, Rainey went below in the middle of theafternoon for his sea-boots. The gale had suddenly strengthened and,under reefs, the _Karluk_ heeled far over until the hissing seas floodedthe scuppers and creamed even with the lee rail. In the main cabin hefound Simms seated in a chair with his daughter leaning over him,speaking to her in a harsh, complaining voice.

  "No, you can't do a thing for me," he was saying. "It's this sciatica.I've got to get Carlsen."

  As Rainey passed through to his own little stateroom neither of themnoticed him, but he saw that the captain was shivering, his handspicking almost convulsively at
the table-cloth.

  "Where's Carlsen, curse him!" Rainey heard through his cabin partition."Tell him I can't stand this any longer. He's got to help me. Got to._Got to._"

  As Rainey appeared, walking heavily in his boots, the girl looked up.Her father was slumped in his chair, his face buried on his folded arms.The girl glanced at him doubtfully, apparently uncertain whether to goherself to find Carlsen or stay with her father.

  "Anything I can do, Miss Simms? Your father seems quite ill."

  The hesitation of the girl even to speak to him was very plain toRainey. Suddenly she threw up her chin.

  "Kindly find Doctor Carlsen," she ordered, rather than requested. "Askhim to come as soon as he can. I--" She turned uncertainly to herfather.

  "Can I help you to get him into the cabin?" asked Rainey.

  She thanked him with lips, not eyes, and he assisted her to shift thealmost helpless man into his room and bunk. He was like a stuffed sackbetween them, save that his body twitched. While Rainey took most of theweight, he marveled at the strength of the slender girl and the way inwhich she applied it. Simms seemed to have fainted, to be on the vergeof unconsciousness or even utter collapse. Rainey felt his wrist, andthe pulse was almost imperceptible.

  "I'll get the doctor immediately," he said.

  She nodded at him, chafing her father's hands, her own face pale, and alook of anxious fear in her eyes.

  "Mighty funny sort of sciatica," Rainey told himself as he hurriedforward. He knew where Carlsen was, in the hunters' cozy quarters,playing poker. From the chips in front of him he had been winningheavily.

  "The skipper's ill," said Rainey. "No pulse. Almost unconscious."

  Carlsen raised his eyebrows.

  "Didn't know you were a physician," he said. "Just one of his spells.I'll finish this hand. Too good to lay down. The skipper can wait foronce."

  The hunters grinned as Carlsen took his time to draw his cards, make hisbets and eventually win the pot on three queens.

  "I wonder what your real game is?" Rainey asked himself as he affectedto watch the play. According to his own announcement Carlsen wasdeliberately neglecting the father of the girl he was to marry and atthe same time slighting the captain to his own men. Carlsen drew in hischips and leisurely made a note of the amount.

  "Quite a while yet to settling-day," he said to the players. "Luck mayswing all round the compass before then, boys. All right, Rainey, youneedn't wait."

  Rainey ignored the omitted "Mister." He held the respect of the sailors,since he had shown his ability, but he knew that the hunters regardedhim with an amused tolerance that lacked disrespect by a small margin.To them he was only the amateur sailor. Rainey fancied that the doctorhad contributed to this attitude, and it did not lessen his scoreagainst Carlsen.

  The captain did not make his appearance for that day, the next, or thenext. The men began to roll eyes at one another when they asked afterhis health. Carlsen kept his own counsel, and Peggy Simms spent most ofher time in the main cabin with her eyes always roving to her father'sdoor. Rainey noticed that Tamada brought no food for the sick man.Carlsen was the apparent controller of the schooner. Lund was quick tosense this.

  "We got to block that Carlsen's game," he said to Rainey. "There's anigger in the woodpile somewhere an' you an' me got to uncover him,matey, afore we reach Bering Strait, or you an' me'll finish this tripsquattin' on the rocks of one of the Four Mountain Islands makin' facesat the gulls.

  "I wish you c'ud git under the skin of that Jap. No use tryin' to git inwith the crew or the hunters. They're ag'in' both of us--leastwisethe hunters are. The hands don't count. They're jest plain hash."

  Lund spoke with an absolute contempt of the sailors that wascharacteristic of the man.

  "You think they'd put a blind man ashore that way?" asked Rainey.

  "Carlsen would. In a minnit. He'd argy that you c'ud look out for me,seein' as we are chums. As for you, you've bin useful, but you can'tnavigate, an' you've helped train Hansen to yore work. You were in theway at the start, an' he'd jest as soon git rid of you that road as ennyother. He don't intend you to have Bergstrom's share, by a jugful."

  Lund grinned as he spoke, and Rainey felt a little chill raisegooseflesh all over his body. It was not exactly fear, but--

  "They don't look on us two as _mascots_," went on Lund. "But to git backto that Jap. Forewarned is forearmed. He ain't over an' above liked, butthey've got used to him goin' back an' forth with their grub, an' theysort of despise him for a yellow-skinned coolie.

  "Now Tamada ain't no coolie. I know Japs. He's a cut above his job.Cooks well enough for a swell billet ashore if he wanted it. An' thereain't much goin' on that Tamada ain't wise to. See if you can't get nextto him. Trubble is he's too damn' neutral. He knows he's safe, becozhe's cook an' a damn' good one. But he's wise to what Carlsen's playin'at.

  "Carlsen don't care for man, woman, God, or the devil. Neither do I," heconcluded. "An' I've got a card or two up my sleeve. But I'd sure liketo git a peep at what the doc's holdin'."

  The storm blew out, and there came a spell of pleasant weather, with the_Karluk_ gliding along, logging a fair rate where a less well-designedvessel would barely have found steerage way, riding on an almost evenkeel. Simms was still confined to his cabin, though now his daughtertook him in an occasional tray.

  Except for observations and the details of navigation, Carlsen left theschooner to Rainey. They were well off the coast, out of the fogs,apparently alone upon the lonely ocean that ran sparkling to the farhorizon. It was warm, there was little to do, the sailors, as well asthe hunters, spent most of their time lounging on the deck.

  Save at meal-times, Carlsen, for one who had announced himself as anaccepted lover, neglected the girl, who had devoted herself to herfather. Yet she seldom went into her cabin, never remained there long,and time must have hung heavily on her hands. A girl of her spirit musthave resented such treatment, Rainey imagined, but reminded himself itwas none of his business.

  Lund hung over the rail, smoking, or paced the deck, always close toRainey. The manner in which he went about the ship was almost uncanny.Except that his arms were generally ahead of him when he moved, hishands, with their woolly covering of red hair, lightly touching boom orrope or rail, he showed no hesitation, made no mistakes.

  He no longer shuffled, as he had on shore, but moved with a pantherlikedexterity, here and there at will. When the breeze was steady he wouldeven take the wheel and steer perfectly by the "feel of the wind" on hischeek, the slap of it in the canvas, or the creak of the rigging to tellhim if he was holding to the course. And he took an almost childishdelight in proclaiming his prowess as helmsman.

  The booms were stayed out against swinging in flaws and the roll of thesea, and Lund strode back and forth behind Rainey, who had the wheel.The hunters were grouped about Carlsen, who, seated on the skylight, wastelling them something at which they guffawed at frequent intervals.

  "Spinnin' them some of his smutty yarns," growled Lund, halting in hispromenade. "Bad for discipline, an' bad for us. He's the sort offine-feathered bird that wouldn't give those chaps a first look ashore.Gittin' in solid with 'em that way is a bad steer. You can't handle aman you make a pal of, w'en he ain't yore rank."

  "Carlsen's slack, but he's a good sailorman," said Rainey casually.

  "Damn' sight better sailorman than he is doctor," retorted Lund. "Hearhim the other mornin' w'en I asked him if he c'ud give me somethin' tohelp my eyes hurtin'? 'I'm no eye specialist,' sez he. 'Try some boracicacid, my man.' I wouldn't put ennything in my eyes _he'd_ give me, youcan lay to that. He'd give me vitriol, if he thought I'd use it. Iwouldn't let him treat a sick cat o' mine. He's the kind o' doctor thatuses his title to give him privileges with the wimmin. I know his sort."

  Rainey wondered why Lund had asked Carlsen for a lotion if he did notmean to use it, but he did not provoke further argument. Lund was goingon.

  "He don't do the skipper enny good, thet's certain."

 
; "Captain Simms seems to believe in him," answered Rainey. He wonderedhow much of Carlsen's increasing dominance over the skipper Lund hadnoticed.

  "Simms is Carlsen's dog!" exploded Lund. "The doc's got somethin' onhim, mark me. Carlsen's a bad egg an', w'en he hatches, you'll see abuzzard. An' you wait till he's needed as a doctor on somethin' thattakes more'n a few kind words or a lick out a bottle."

  There was a stir among the hunters. Lund turned his spectacled eyes intheir direction.

  "What are they up to now?" he queried. "Goin' to play poker? Wish I hadmy eyes. I'd show 'em how to read the pips."

  Hansen came aft, offering to take the wheel.

  "They bane goin' to shute at targets," he said. "Meester Carlsen he putup prizes. For rifle an' shotgun. Thought you might like to watch it,sir."

  Rainey gave over the spokes and went to the starboard rail with Lund,watching the preparations between fore and main masts for thecompetition, and telling Lund what was happening. Carlsen gave out someshotgun cartridges from cardboard boxes, twelve to each of the sixhunters.

  "Hunters pay for their own shells," said Lund. "But they buy 'em fromthe ship. Mate's perkisite. They usually have some shells on hand forthe rifles, but the paper cases o' the shotgun cartridges suck up thedamp an' they keep better in the magazine in the cabin. What theyshootin' at? Bottles?"

  Sandy, the roustabout, had been requisitioned to toss up empty bottles,and those who failed cursed him for a poor thrower. A hunter namedDeming made no misses, and secured first prize of ten dollars in gold,with a man named Beale scoring two behind him, and getting half thatamount from Carlsen.

  Then came the test with the rifles. The weapons were all of the samecaliber, well oiled, and in perfect condition. As Lund had said, each ofthe hunters had a few shells in his possession, but they lacked thetotal of six dozen by a considerable margin.

  Carlsen went below for the necessary ammunition while the target wascompleted and set in place. A keg had been rigged with a weightunderslung to keep it upright, and a tin can, painted white, set on ashort spar in one end of the keg. A light line was attached to a bridle,and the mark lowered over the stern, where it rode, bobbing in the tailof the schooner's wake, thirty fathoms from the taffrail where the crowdgathered.

  Carlsen, returning, ordered Hansen to steer fine. He gave eachcompetitor a limit of ten seconds for his aim, contributing an elementof chance that made the contest a sporting one. Without the counting,each would have deliberately waited for the most favorable moment whenthe schooner hung in the trough and the white can was backed by greenwater. As it was, it made a far-from-easy mark, slithering, lurching,dipping as the _Karluk_ slid down a wave or met a fresh one, the canoften blurred against the blobs of foam.

  More bullets hit the keg than the can, and Carlsen was often called uponas umpire. But the tin gradually became ragged and blotched where thesteel-jacketed missiles tore through. Beale and Deming both had fiveclean, undisputed hits, tying for first prize. Beale offered to shoot itoff with six more shells apiece, and Deming consented.

  "Can't be done," declared Carlsen. "Not right now, anyway. I gave outthe last shell there was in the magazine. If there are any more theskipper's got them stowed away, and I can't disturb him."

  "Derned funny," said Deming, "a sealer shy on cartridges! Lucky we ain'tworryin' about thet sort of a cargo."

  "Probably plenty aboard somewhere," said Carlsen, "but I don't knowwhere they are. Sorry to break up the shooting. You boys have got mebeaten on rifles and shotguns," he went on, producing from his hippocket a flat, effective-looking automatic pistol of heavy caliber. "Howare you on small arms?"

  The hunters shook their heads dubiously.

  "Never use 'em," said Deming. "Never could do much with that kind,ennyhow. Give me a revolver, an' I might make out to hit a whale, if hewas close enough, but not with one o' them."

  "Not much difference," said, Carlsen. "Any of you got revolvers?"

  No one spoke. It was against the unwritten laws of a vessel for pistolsto be owned forward of the main cabin. Beale finally answered for therest.

  "Nary a pistol, sir."

  "Then," said Carlsen, "I'll give you an exhibition myself. Any bottlesleft? Beale, will you toss them for me?"

  There were eight shots in the automatic, and Carlsen smashed sevenbottles in mid-air. He missed the last, but retrieved himself bybreaking it as it dipped in the wake. The hunters shouted theirappreciation.

  "Break all of 'em?" Lund asked Rainey. "Enny bottles left at all?"

  He walked toward the taffrail, addressing Carlsen.

  "Kin you shoot by _sound_ as well as by sight, Doc?" he challenged.

  "I fancy not," said Carlsen.

  "If I had my eyes I'd snapshoot ye for a hundred bucks," said Lund. "Asit is, I might target one or two. Rainey, have some one run a line,head-high, an' fix a bottle on it, will ye? I ain't got a gun o' my own,Doc," he continued, "will you lend me yours?" Carlsen filled his clipand Lund turned toward Rainey, who was rigging the target.

  "I'll want you to tap it with a stick," he said. "Signal-flag staff'lldo fine."

  Rainey got the slender bamboo and stood by. Lund felt for the cord,passed his fingers over the suspended bottle and stepped off five paces,hefting the automatic to judge its balance.

  "Ruther have my own gun," he muttered. "All right, tetch her up,Rainey."

  Rainey tapped the bottle on the neck and it gave out a little tinkle,lost immediately in the crash of splintering glass as the bottle, hitfairly in the torn label, broke in half.

  "How much left?" asked Lund. "Half? Tetch it up."

  Again he fired and again the bullet found the mark, leaving only theneck of the bottle still hanging. Lund grinned.

  "Thet's all," he said. "Jest wanted to show ye what a blind man can do,if he's put to it."

  There was little applause. Carlsen took his gun in silence and movedforward with the hunters and the onlookers, disappearing below. Raineytook the wheel over from Hansen and ordered him forward again.

  "Given 'em something to talk about," chuckled Lund. "Carlsen wanted toshow off his fancy shootin'. Wal, I've shown 'em I ain't entirelywrecked if I ain't carryin' lights. An' I slipped more'n one over onCarlsen at that."

  Rainey did not catch his entire meaning and said nothing.

  "Did you get wise to the play about the shells?" asked Lund. "A smarttrick, though Deming almost tumbled. Carlsen got those dumb fools ofhunters to fire away every shell they happened to have for'ard. If themagazine's empty, I'll bet Carlsen knows where they's plenty moreshells, if we ever needed 'em bad. But now those rifles an' shotgunsain't no more use than so many clubs--_not to the hunters_. An' he'sfound out they ain't got enny pistols. _He's_ got one, an' shows 'em howstraight he shoots, jest in case there should be enny trubble between'em. Plays both ends to the middle, does Carlsen. Slick! But he ain'twon the pot. They's a joker in this game. Mebbe he holds it, mebbe not."

  He nodded mysteriously, well pleased with himself.

  "Don't suppose _you_ brought a gun along with ye?" he asked Rainey."Might come in handy."

  "I wasn't expecting to stay," Rainey replied dryly, "or I might have."

  Lund laughed heartily, slapping his leg.

  "That's a good un," he declared. "It would have bin a good idea, though.It sure pays to go heeled when you travel with strangers."