The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-07-29

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course he assented. When I had rur
the new ones I saw him picking at tbs
: old rope, puzzled I came by and said
They needed to be renewed, didn't
/ they?"
He Pulled at his beard. and as
. passed aft 1 heard him grunting by
: himself.
We ran the Algaroba down into the
trades and the nights grew soft. The
flying fish scattered away to wind
ward, the big sunfsh dipped to safety
az we blew along and the Twin Peters
slept together on tarpaulin in the lee
OF the wheeIbox.
More interesting to me than the cap
tain and his unseamanlike qualities
was the monkey, Peter. AS the days
went generously by and the nights, one
after the other, held rs in their vast
and tropic circle l grew to watch him
fascinatedly. He was so small. so self
contained. so Vigilant. Many time
in the middle of the night I would see
his dark figure on the weather rail-
poised there determinedly. Once III a
great while he would suddenly emerge
from some shadow and thrust his head
into the pinnacle and stare at the COM
pass with profound and inscruta BILE
sagacity. While the other Peter slept
on the deck, stirring childishly in his
slumber, the ape kept me company.
Did the change of wind justify setting
the Spinnaker, I would wipe my face
after hauling Justify to find his dark,
hairy form beside me on the fo'c'sle
head. Even up aloft. sometimes, [
would feel his swift passage in a mere
brushing of his hairy coat across my
wrist. But let the boy Peter awake,
call or cry, and the TWin-so we came
to call hinl-would rush back as though
driven by furious anxiety. He would
drag the tarpaulin smooth, with infinite
little dabs of the paw pat out its wrin-
kles and then hold the boy tightly in
his meager arms until he slept again.
The mate himself, steady of thought,
spare of words, unfortunately ruminat-
ing, bent his thoughts on this. t'That
monkey is more a man than the lot of
the Finn family. The Twin is Peters
guardeen,' he said. Il never rec'lect
seeing a monkey so affect'nate and
overseeing in general. Little Peter
says HUH just like the old man. If
the Twin talked he'd never say HUH
He's too set in his ways That mon
key, mister is a darned sight more of
a man than either the skipper or his j
boy"
1t was a long passage. and we grew
very silent as the days went on and the
stars of the tropics burned more
brightly in the sky. Gradually the
captain had fallen into letting me
navigate the schooner. He gave some
excuse about his eyes, or something.
But, though I do not think he ever
fully trusted my reckonings, he cum
ningly concealed the fact. I became
sure that he could not trust his own;
not for lack of knowledge, but because
he was forever hesitating. I never
knew man so incapable of Immediate
address and skill.
We We're only a few days run from
Koko Head when Captain Finn came
on deck in his pajamas during the mid
die watch. 1t was very dark. The
Algaroba was plunging a bit in a
and 1 had taken in the tops'ls
feeling too much weight in the shifting
wind. 81 don't think it will blow any.
HUH" said the skipper But his face,
as he peered down into the compass
and the light struck upward on it, was
wet with sweat and not the face of a
man at ease. 1T looks to me like a
gale 1 said. More, there's an ugly
sea getting up. 1 don't like to push
her too far
Keep her going he said CURLY.
Then he trailed off. 81 see it's freshen-
ing. l wonder how much she would
carry. Somebody that had her before
told me the Al8aroba was tender"
Before the words were well out of his
mouth 1 saw something that brought
the blood into my eyes. Half an hour
ater the Algaroba was hove to, careen-
ing diZzily up the slopes of the huge
seas that foamed from the darkness,
roared down and thundered past I
TODD at the wheel myself The mate was
Onward trying to save the remains
If the gear. The captain clung miser-
ably to the rail. balancing himself with
difficulty in that hot and bowling
torn.
The sailor at the wheel with me
worked spasmodicaliy, as we tried to
1eep the schooner from diving com
,letely under the sweeping surges. He
nodded to me from time to time. We L
10Th knew she had too much sail on I
Ter. The captain seemed helpless. The
nate was still forward trying to save [
he headgear. Until he had finished
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