Page:Silver Shoal Light.djvu/248

 fer her in a dory an' boarded her. The master—an elderly man he was thet I'd never ha' thought would ha' done it, fer I'd knowed him ashore—he was below studyin' a chart very busy-like. I come in an' shet the door.

"'See here,' says I, 'what fer be you tryin to run the Singapore on to the rocks?'

"He got red an' white, an' flared out with some strong words, ma'am, thet I wouldn't want to repeat.

"'It's none o' your business what I do,' says he. 'I'm a-studyin' the chart to see how I can get me away from this p'int.'

"'You know this p'int as well as I do,' says I, 'an' all this whole coast fer miles. You've be'n navigatin' in these waters longer'n I hev,—an' the more shame to ye. You're tryin' to wreck the pore ol' Singapore fer her insurance, an' I hope the dirty money'll burn yore hand,—'ceptin' only you won't get it, ef I get my way.'

"'I'm carryin' out my comp'ny's orders,' says he, 'which is more'n you're doin'.'

"'It's my comp'ny, too,' says I, 'but I think a heap less o' it than I did afore, which is sayin' a good deal.'

"An' with thet I jumped out o' the chart-room an' slammed the door to an' locked it.