Part 12 (1/2)

Moran's blue eyes were beginning to gleam

”Yes, and do it before the Chinamen see you”

”But--but I don't understand”

Moran stepped to the quarterdeck, unslung the hammock in which Wilbur slept, and tossed it to him

”Reeve it up in that; I'll pass you a line, and we'll haul it aboard

Godsend, those verh of their oithout noticing this Hurry, mate, I'll talk afterward”

Wilbur went over the side, and standing as best he could upon the slippery carcass, dug out the lump and bound it up in the hammock

”Hoh!” exclaimed Moran, with sudden exultation ”There's a lot of it That's the biggest lump yet, I'll be bound Is that all there is, mate?--look carefully” Her voice had dropped to a whisper

”Yes, yes; that's all Careful nohen you haul up--Hoang has got his eye on you, and so have the rest of them What do you call it, anyhow?

Why are you so particular about it? Is it worth anything?”

”I don't know--perhaps We'll have a look at it, anyway”

Moran hauled the stuff aboard, and Wilbur followed

”Whew!” he exclaimed with half-closed eyes ”It's like the story of Sa”

The schooner seemed to swim in a bath of perfumed air; the membrane of the nostrils fairly prinkled with the sensation Moran unleashed the ha down upon one knee examined the lump attentively

”It didn't see to herself; ”but there can't be any h I've heard of such things, but this--but this--” She rose to her feet, tossing back her hair

”Well,” said Wilbur, ”what do you call it?”

”The thing to do now,” returned Moran, ”is to get clear of here as quietly and as quickly as we can, and take this stuff with us I can't stop to explain now, but it's big--it's big Mate, it's big as the Bank of England”

”Those beach-coa us This stuff would smell across the ocean”

”Rot the beach-combers! There's a bit of wind, thank God, and we can do four knots to their one, just let us get clear once”

Moran dragged the ha upon deck, helped Wilbur to cut away the last tricing tackle The schooner righted slowly to an even keel Meanwhile the junk had set its one lug-sail and its crew had run out the sweeps Hoang took the steering sweep and worked the junk to a position right across the ”Bertha's” bows, soh,” said Wilbur

”Up your mains'l,” ordered Moran The pair set the fore and reat difficulty Moran took the wheel and Wilbur went forward to cast off the line by which the schooner had been tied up to one of the whale's flukes