Evening journal., 1904-04-22
CHAPTER II.


certain observations.
The name Of the boat on which he
found himself was the Bertha Millner.
She was a two topmast twenty-eight
ton keel schooner, forty feet long, car
rylng q lurge spread Of sail-mainsail,
forcsail, jib, hying jib, two gan top
sails and staysail. She was very
dirty and smelled abominably OF some
Kind Of rancid oil Her crew were Chi
namen--there was no mate-but the
cook, himself a Cbinaman, who ap-
peared from time TO time at the door
Of che galley. q potato masher in his
hard. Seemed to have some sort Of au-
thority over the hands He acted in
manner as q go-between for the captain
and the crew. sometimes interpreting
the formers orders and occasionally
giving one of his own.
Wilbur heard the captain address him
as Charlie He spoke pigeon English
fairly. OF the balance Of the crew, the
Eve Cinnamon, Wilbur could make
nothing. They never spoke, neither 10
Captain Kitchell. TO Charlie nor to
each other. and for all the notice they
took OF Wilbur he might easily have
been "a sack Of sand. Wilbur felt that
his advent on the Bertha Millner was
by its very nature an extraordinary
event, but the absolute indifference Of
these brown suited MOngols, the blank
ness Of their fat, fat faces, the dullness
of their slanting. fshlike eyes that new
er met his own or even wandered in his
direction, was uncanny, disquieting.
In what strange venture was he now
70 be involved, toward what unknown
vortex was this new current setting,
this current that had so suddenly
snatched him from the solid ground Of
his accustomed life7
He told himself grimly that he was to
have a free cruise up the bay, perhaps
as far as Alviso. Perhaps the Bertha
Millner would even make the circuit OF
the bay before returning to San Fran
cisco. He might be gone a week. Viii
bur could already see the scareheads
Of the daily papers the next morning
chronicling the disappearance Of zone
of society's Most Popular Members"
That's well, y'r throat halyards
Here, Lilee of the Vallee. give a couple
of pulls on y'r peak halysrd purchase
Wilbur stared at the captain help
lessly.
mo can tell. heyT' inquired Charli,
from the galley. "Pullum disa lope
ssbeF
Wilbur tugged at the rope the cool
indicated.
That's well, y'r peak halyard pur
chase" chanted Captain Kitchell.
Wilbur made the rope fast. Th'
mainsail was set and hung Stating anC
tapping in the wind. Next the for'sai
was set in much the same manner. anC
Wilbur was ordered to "lay out on the
5rboom and cast the gaskets Off th'
iib." He "lay out' as best be could anC
cast of the gaskets-he knew barely
enough of yachting to understand al
order here and there-and by the tim,
be was back on the fo'c'stle head thu
Cinnamon were at the jib halyard anC
hoistngsaway.
That's well--y'r jib halyards"
The Bertha Millner veered round an,
played OF to the wind, tugging at he
anchor.
Man y'r wiadlass."
Wilbur and the crew Jumped ono
more to the brakes.
Brake down, heave y'r anchor I
the cathead."
The anchor chain, already taut, vi
brated and then cranked through tn
hawse holes as the hands rose and fel
at the brakes. The anchor came home
dripping gray slime. A nor'west win
filled the schooner's sails; a strong eb
tide caught her under foot.
Were or" muttered Wilbur as III
Bertha Millner heeled to the first gus
But evidently the schooner was no
bound up the bay.
s"Must be Vallejo or Benicia then,
hazarded Wilbur as the sails grey
tenser and the water rippled eve
louder under the schooner's forefoo
'Maybe they're going after hay O
wheat"
The schooner was tacking, beade
directly for Meiggs wharf. She cam
in closer and closer--so close that wi
bur could hear the talk OF the fishel
men sitting on the stringpieces. II
bad Just made up his mind that the
were TO make a landing there when
Stand by for stays" came the raj
cous bark Of the captain. who had tai
en- the wheel, The sails Slated fur
ously as the schooner came abou
Then the Bertha Millner caught III
wind again and lay over quietly an
contentedly TO her work. The ne1
tack brought the schooner close undG
Alcatraz. The sea became heavier; I'll
breeze grew stiff and smelled Of III
outside ocean. Out beyond them I
westward opened the Golden Gate,
bleak vista Of gray green water rougl
ened with whitecaps.
"Stand by for stays"
Once again. as the rudder went haI
over. the Bertha Millner fretted an
danced and shook her sails. calling in
patiently for the wind. chatting at q
absence like a child reft Of a toy. The
ngain she sccoped the nor'wester in IL
hollow palms OF her tense canvass
and settled quietly down on the ne
tack, her bowsprlt pointing straigl
toward the Preside.
"Well. Wen come about soon," w
bar told himself, "and stand over I
ward the Contra Costa shore"
iine huge breath OF wind passt
over the schooner. She heeled II {
the instant, the water roaring alor
her quarter, but she kept her cours