The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1942-05-22

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spot where Dick took the deck that
them up to the wheel which Dick
still held. These were slovenly look
ing men, not very well washed. Their
faces were dark; the hair of some
Of them had q crinlxly bush; the
noses of some were nothing else but
fiat, and the lips noticeably thick.
A Polynesian who, on surfboard,
seems the image Of god, can look
like scum in dungarees.
you see that boat up there?"
Dick said.
None of them said anything, and
their faces were inexpensive. The
question was rhetorical. Whatever
these brown-skinned men might
miss in this world or the next, they
never missed anything on the face of
the sea.
'We're going to come up close on
that boat in minute" Dick said.
"We're going to swing so close to
her that maybe we'll smash her rud-
der off. I'm going aboard, and I'm
going to take her back to Alakoa.
After I've gone aboard, the Holokai
is going to stand by for maybe ten
minutes. Within ten minutes the
malahine boat will turn and go back.
If it doesn't turn"
Dick Wayne stopped moment,
while he turned the Holokai more
carefully into the wake of the Seals
lights.
''Then, Captain" Inyashi prompt
ed. In the undistinguished yellow
face the canine teeth were showing
in Inyashi's peculiar new smile.
eff" Dick said, ''the Seal does
not turn in ten minutes after / have
boarded her, the Holokai will come
alongside the Seal and lash fast"
'And them" Inyashi said again.
"One way or another" Dick said,
"I'm going to take the Seal back
to Alakoa."
Dick Wayne didn't even look at
the faces of the Kanakas-he knew
what was there. They were looking
at each other then, but not in sullen-
ness nor rebellion. The faces of
these men were thick-skinned as
leather, weathered by thousand
tropic suns; but now there was Gu
rious drawing up of the faces of the
first man and the third-different
from smile, and at the same time
nothing else-as if the deep-skinned
leather had been drawn up by inner
cords.
If any haole had anything these
men could understand, Dick Wayne
had it; and they understood him
now. Without looking at them at
all, he knew that they would take
the Seal, if he named the Seal. no
matter what else happened after
that. Dick had to grin little,
but not without affection, as he rec
ognized that he was perfectly GER
tain of what these men could be
counted on to do.
"Get your buffers out to star
board"
The Seal was all out, and, as Dick
already knew, Ramey's boat had
surprising turn of speed; but there
was nothing she could do to get
away from the Holokai, in the open
sea. The Holokai had been built
for sail, but she had taken to her
power with surprising surety, SO
that under her Diesel she went over
the water like a thrown shell. Def
initely and steadily, with an arith-
metic accuracy, the Holokai came
I'D on the Seal; and nothing that
mems intentions or present emotions
might do could effect that steady
overtaking. She could overhaul the
unhappy Seal tonight simply by a
mathematics of oil and iron con-
trived by forgotten designers, some
Of whom were dead
81 have to 60 now" Dick said to
Inyashi.
"You mean-you mean"
''Take the wheel, and throw her
so close that you pick her wheel
mans teeth with the buckle Of your
belt"
What are you going to do!" IN
yashi demanded.
''I'm going to leave this rail, and
60 aboard this other boat" Dick
said.
Tonga" Inyashi said, lapsing
into the name under which he had
first known Dick. "if ] miss the
swing, even by inches--it just cam
not be DONE"
.You 60 ahead and do it. Take
the wheel"
The Holokai's deck crew were
lounging against the weather rail as
Dick left the wheel. They appeared
to be resting; but Dick caught the