Theyhadbeenrangedclosely，afterhavingbeenshakenintosubmission，cuffedalittletoallayexcitement，addressedingruffwordsofencouragementthatsoundedlikepromisesofevil。
　　Theysatonthedeckinghastly，droopingrows，andattheendthecarpenter，withtwohandstohelphim，movedbusilyfromplacetoplace，settingtautandhitchingthelife-lines。Theboatswain，withonelegandonearmembracingastanchion，struggledwithalamppressedtohisbreast，tryingtogetalight，andgrowlingallthetimelikeanindustriousgorilla。
　　Thefiguresofseamenstoopedrepeatedly，withthemovementsofgleaners，andeverythingwasbeingflungintothebunker:
　　clothing，smashedwood，brokenchina，andthedollars，too，gatheredupinmen'sjackets。Nowandthenasailorwouldstaggertowardsthedoorwaywithhisarmsfullofrubbish；anddolorous，slantingeyesfollowedhismovements。
　　WitheveryrolloftheshipthelongrowsofsittingCelestialswouldswayforwardbrokenly，andherheadlongdivesknockedtogetherthelineofshavenpollsfromendtoend。Whenthewashofwaterrollingonthedeckdiedawayforamoment，itseemedtoJukes，yetquiveringfromhisexertions，thatinhismadstruggledowntherehehadovercomethewindsomehow:thatasilencehadfallenupontheship，asilenceinwhichtheseastruckthunderouslyathersides。
　　Everythinghadbeenclearedoutofthe'tween-deck——allthewreckage，asthemensaid。Theystooderectandtotteringabovethelevelofheadsanddroopingshoulders。Hereandthereacooliesobbedforhisbreath。Wherethehighlightfell，Jukescouldseethesalientribsofone，theyellow，wistfulfaceofanother；bowednecks；orwouldmeetadullstaredirectedathisface。Hewasamazedthattherehadbeennocorpses；butthelotofthemseemedattheirlastgasp，andtheyappearedtohimmorepitifulthaniftheyhadbeenalldead。
　　Suddenlyoneofthecooliesbegantospeak。Thelightcameandwentonhislean，strainingface；hethrewhisheaduplikeabayinghound。Fromthebunkercamethesoundsofknockingandthetinkleofsomedollarsrollingloose；hestretchedouthisarm，hismouthyawnedblack，andtheincomprehensiblegutturalhootingsounds，thatdidnotseemtobelongtoahumanlanguage，penetratedJukeswithastrangeemotionasifabrutehadtriedtobeeloquent。
　　TwomorestartedmouthingwhatseemedtoJukesfiercedenunciations；theothersstirredwithgruntsandgrowls。Jukesorderedthehandsoutofthe'tweendeckshurriedly。Heleftlasthimself，backingthroughthedoor，whilethegruntsrosetoaloudmurmurandhandswereextendedafterhimasafteramalefactor。Theboatswainshotthebolt，andremarkeduneasily，"Seemsasifthewindhaddropped，sir。"
　　Theseamenweregladtogetbackintothealleyway。Secretlyeachofthemthoughtthatatthelastmomenthecouldrushoutondeck——andthatwasacomfort。Thereissomethinghorriblyrepugnantintheideaofbeingdrownedunderadeck。NowtheyhaddonewiththeChinamen，theyagainbecameconsciousoftheship'sposition。
　　Jukesoncomingoutofthealleywayfoundhimselfuptotheneckinthenoisywater。Hegainedthebridge，anddiscoveredhecoulddetectobscureshapesasifhissighthadbecomepreternaturallyacute。Hesawfaintoutlines。TheyrecallednotthefamiliaraspectoftheNan-Shan，butsomethingremembered-anolddismantledsteamerhehadseenyearsagorottingonamudbank。Sherecalledthatwreck。
　　Therewasnowind，notabreath，exceptthefaintcurrentscreatedbythelurchesoftheship。Thesmoketossedoutofthefunnelwassettlingdownuponherdeck。Hebreatheditashepassedforward。Hefeltthedeliberatethroboftheengines，andheardsmallsoundsthatseemedtohavesurvivedthegreatuproar:
　　theknockingofbrokenfittings，therapidtumblingofsomepieceofwreckageonthebridge。Heperceiveddimlythesquatshapeofhiscaptainholdingontoatwistedbridge-rail，motionlessandswayingasifrootedtotheplanks。TheunexpectedstillnessoftheairoppressedJukes。
　　"Wehavedoneit，sir，"hegasped。
　　"Thoughtyouwould，"saidCaptainMacWhirr。
　　"Didyou？"murmuredJukestohimself。
　　"Windfellallatonce，"wentontheCaptain。
　　Jukesburstout:"Ifyouthinkitwasaneasyjob——"
　　Buthiscaptain，clingingtotherail，paidnoattention。
　　"Accordingtothebookstheworstisnotoveryet。"
　　"Ifmostofthemhadn'tbeenhalfdeadwithseasicknessandfright，notoneofuswouldhavecomeoutofthat'tween-deckalive，"saidJukes。
　　"Hadtodowhat'sfairbythem，"mumbledMacWhirr，stolidly。
　　"Youdon'tfindeverythinginbooks。"
　　"Why，IbelievetheywouldhaverisenonusifIhadn'torderedthehandsoutofthatprettyquick，"continuedJukeswithwarmth。
　　Afterthewhisperoftheirshouts，theirordinarytones，sodistinct，rangoutveryloudtotheirearsintheamazingstillnessoftheair。Itseemedtothemtheyweretalkinginadarkandechoingvault。
　　Throughajaggedapertureinthedomeofcloudsthelightofafewstarsfellupontheblacksea，risingandfallingconfusedly。
　　Sometimestheheadofawateryconewouldtoppleonboardandminglewiththerollingflurryoffoamontheswampeddeck；andtheNan-Shanwallowedheavilyatthebottomofacircularcisternofclouds。Thisringofdensevapours，gyratingmadlyroundthecalmofthecentre，encompassedtheshiplikeamotionlessandunbrokenwallofanaspectinconceivablysinister。Within，thesea，asifagitatedbyaninternalcommotion，leapedinpeakedmoundsthatjostledeachother，slappingheavilyagainsthersides；andalowmoaningsound，theinfiniteplaintofthestorm'sfury，camefrombeyondthelimitsofthemenacingcalm。
　　CaptainMacWhirrremainedsilent，andJukes'readyearcaughtsuddenlythefaint，longdrawnroarofsomeimmensewaverushingunseenunderthatthickblackness，whichmadetheappallingboundaryofhisvision。
　　"Ofcourse，"hestartedresentfully，"theythoughtwehadcaughtatthechancetoplunderthem。Ofcourse!Yousaid——pickupthemoney。Easiersaidthandone。Theycouldn'ttellwhatwasinourheads。Wecamein，smash——rightintothemiddleofthem。
　　Hadtodoitbyarush。"
　　"Aslongasit'sdone……，"mumbledtheCaptain，withoutattemptingtolookatJukes。"Hadtodowhat'sfair。"
　　"Weshallfindyetthere'sthedeviltopaywhenthisisover，"
　　saidJukes，feelingverysore。"Letthemonlyrecoverabit，andyou'llsee。Theywillflyatourthroats，sir。Don'tforget，sir，sheisn'taBritishshipnow。Thesebrutesknowitwell，too。ThedamnedSiameseflag。"
　　"Weareonboard，allthesame，"remarkedCaptainMacWhirr。
　　"Thetrouble'snotoveryet，"insistedJukes，prophetically，reelingandcatchingon。"She'sawreck，"headded，faintly。
　　"Thetrouble'snotoveryet，"assentedCaptainMacWhirr，halfaloud……"Lookoutforheraminute。"
　　"Areyougoingoffthedeck，sir？"askedJukes，hurriedly，asifthestormweresuretopounceuponhimassoonashehadbeenleftalonewiththeship。
　　Hewatchedher，batteredandsolitary，labouringheavilyinawildsceneofmountainousblackwaterslitbythegleamsofdistantworlds。Shemovedslowly，breathingintothestillcoreofthehurricanetheexcessofherstrengthinawhitecloudofsteam——andthedeeptonedvibrationoftheescapewaslikethedefianttrumpetingofalivingcreatureoftheseaimpatientfortherenewalofthecontest。Itceasedsuddenly。Thestillairmoaned。AboveJukes'headafewstarsshoneintoapitofblackvapours。Theinkyedgeofthecloud-discfrownedupontheshipunderthepatchofglitteringsky。Thestars，too，seemedtolookatherintently，asifforthelasttime，andtheclusteroftheirsplendoursatlikeadiademonaloweringbrow。
　　CaptainMacWhirrhadgoneintothechart-room。Therewasnolightthere；buthecouldfeelthedisorderofthatplacewhereheusedtolivetidily。Hisarmchairwasupset。Thebookshadtumbledoutonthefloor:hescrunchedapieceofglassunderhisboot。
　　Hegropedforthematches，andfoundaboxonashelfwithadeepledge。Hestruckone，andpuckeringthecornersofhiseyes，heldoutthelittleflametowardsthebarometerwhoseglitteringtopofglassandmetalsnoddedathimcontinuously。
　　Itstoodverylow——incrediblylow，solowthatCaptainMacWhirrgrunted。Thematchwentout，andhurriedlyheextractedanother，withthick，stifffingers。
　　Againalittleflameflaredupbeforethenoddingglassandmetalofthetop。Hiseyeslookedatit，narrowedwithattention，asifexpectinganimperceptiblesign。WithhisgravefaceheresembledabootedandmisshapenpaganburningincensebeforetheoracleofaJoss。Therewasnomistake。Itwasthelowestreadinghehadeverseeninhislife。
　　CaptainMacWhirremittedalowwhistle。Heforgothimselftilltheflamediminishedtoabluespark，burnthisfingersandvanished。Perhapssomethinghadgonewrongwiththething!
　　Therewasananeroidglassscrewedabovethecouch。Heturnedthatway，struckanothermatch，anddiscoveredthewhitefaceoftheotherinstrumentlookingathimfromthebulkhead，meaningly，nottobegainsaid，asthoughthewisdomofmenweremadeunerringbytheindifferenceofmatter。Therewasnoroomfordoubtnow。CaptainMacWhirrpshawedatit，andthrewthematchdown。
　　Theworstwastocome，then——andifthebookswererightthisworstwouldbeverybad。Theexperienceofthelastsixhourshadenlargedhisconceptionofwhatheavyweathercouldbelike。
　　"It'llbeterrific，"hepronounced，mentally。Hehadnotconsciouslylookedatanythingbythelightofthematchesexceptatthebarometer；andyetsomehowhehadseenthathiswaterbottleandthetwotumblershadbeenflungoutoftheirstand。Itseemedtogivehimamoreintimateknowledgeofthetossingtheshiphadgonethrough。"Iwouldn'thavebelievedit，"hethought。Andhistablehadbeencleared，too；hisrulers，hispencils，theinkstand——allthethingsthathadtheirsafeappointedplaces——theyweregone，asifamischievoushandhadpluckedthemoutonebyoneandflungthemonthewetfloor。Thehurricanehadbrokeninupontheorderlyarrangementsofhisprivacy。Thishadneverhappenedbefore，andthefeelingofdismayreachedtheveryseatofhiscomposure。
　　Andtheworstwastocomeyet!Hewasgladthetroubleinthe'tween-deckhadbeendiscoveredintime。Iftheshiphadtogoafterall，then，atleast，shewouldn'tbegoingtothebottomwithalotofpeopleinherfightingteethandclaw。Thatwouldhavebeenodious。Andinthatfeelingtherewasahumaneintentionandavaguesenseofthefitnessofthings。
　　Theseinstantaneousthoughtswereyetintheiressenceheavyandslow，partakingofthenatureoftheman。Heextendedhishandtoputbackthematchboxinitscorneroftheshelf。Therewerealwaysmatchesthere——byhisorder。Thestewardhadhisinstructionsimpresseduponhimlongbefore。"Abox……justthere，see？Notsoveryfull……whereIcanputmyhandonit，steward。Mightwantalightinahurry。Can'ttellonboardshipwhatyoumightwantinahurry。Mind，now。"
　　Andofcourseonhissidehewouldbecarefultoputitbackinitsplacescrupulously。Hedidsonow，butbeforeheremovedhishanditoccurredtohimthatperhapshewouldneverhaveoccasiontousethatboxanymore。Thevividnessofthethoughtcheckedhimandforaninfinitesimalfractionofasecondhisfingersclosedagainonthesmallobjectasthoughithadbeenthesymbolofalltheselittlehabitsthatchainustothewearyroundoflife。Hereleaseditatlast，andlettinghimselffallonthesettee，listenedforthefirstsoundsofreturningwind。
　　Notyet。Heheardonlythewashofwater，theheavysplashes，thedullshocksoftheconfusedseasboardinghisshipfromallsides。Shewouldneverhaveachancetoclearherdecks。
　　Butthequietudeoftheairwasstartlinglytenseandunsafe，likeaslenderhairholdingaswordsuspendedoverhishead。Bythisawfulpausethestormpenetratedthedefencesofthemanandunsealedhislips。Hespokeoutinthesolitudeandthepitchdarknessofthecabin，asifaddressinganotherbeingawakenedwithinhisbreast。
　　"Ishouldn'tliketoloseher，"hesaidhalfaloud。
　　Hesatunseen，apartfromthesea，fromhisship，isolated，asifwithdrawnfromtheverycurrentofhisownexistence，wheresuchfreaksastalkingtohimselfsurelyhadnoplace。Hispalmsreposedonhisknees，hebowedhisshortneckandpuffedheavily，surrenderingtoastrangesensationofwearinesshewasnotenlightenedenoughtorecognizeforthefatigueofmentalstress。
　　Fromwherehesathecouldreachthedoorofawashstandlocker。
　　Thereshouldhavebeenatowelthere。Therewas。Good……
　　Hetookitout，wipedhisface，andafterwardswentonrubbinghiswethead。Hetowelledhimselfwithenergyinthedark，andthenremainedmotionlesswiththetowelonhisknees。Amomentpassed，ofastillnesssoprofoundthatnoonecouldhaveguessedtherewasamansittinginthatcabin。Thenamurmurarose。
　　"Shemaycomeoutofityet。"
　　WhenCaptainMacWhirrcameoutondeck，whichhedidbrusquely，asthoughhehadsuddenlybecomeconsciousofhavingstayedawaytoolong，thecalmhadlastedalreadymorethanfifteenminutes——longenoughtomakeitselfintolerableeventohisimagination。Jukes，motionlessontheforepartofthebridge，begantospeakatonce。Hisvoice，blankandforcedasthoughheweretalkingthroughhard-setteeth，seemedtoflowawayonallsidesintothedarkness，deepeningagainuponthesea。
　　"Ihadthewheelrelieved。Hackettbegantosingoutthathewasdone。He'slyingintherealongsidethesteering-gearwithafacelikedeath。AtfirstIcouldn'tgetanybodytocrawloutandrelievethepoordevil。Thatboss'n'sworsethannogood，I
　　alwayssaid。ThoughtIwouldhavehadtogomyselfandhauloutoneofthembytheneck。"
　　"Ah，well，"mutteredtheCaptain。HestoodwatchfulbyJukes'
　　side。
　　"Thesecondmate'sinthere，too，holdinghishead。Ishehurt，sir？"
　　"No——crazy，"saidCaptainMacWhirr，curtly。
　　"Looksasifhehadatumble，though。"
　　"Ihadtogivehimapush，"explainedtheCaptain。
　　Jukesgaveanimpatientsigh。
　　"Itwillcomeverysudden，"saidCaptainMacWhirr，"andfromoverthere，Ifancy。Godonlyknowsthough。Thesebooksareonlygoodtomuddleyourheadandmakeyoujumpy。Itwillbebad，andthere'sanend。Ifweonlycansteamherroundintimetomeetit……"
　　Aminutepassed。Someofthestarswinkedrapidlyandvanished。
　　"Youleftthemprettysafe？"begantheCaptainabruptly，asthoughthesilencewereunbearable。
　　"Areyouthinkingofthecoolies，sir？Iriggedlifelinesallwaysacrossthat'tween-deck。"
　　"Didyou？Goodidea，Mr。Jukes。"
　　"Ididn't……thinkyoucaredto……know，"saidJukes——thelurchingoftheshipcuthisspeechasthoughsomebodyhadbeenjerkinghimaroundwhilehetalked——"howIgotonwith……
　　thatinfernaljob。Wedidit。Anditmaynotmatterintheend。"
　　"Hadtodowhat'sfair，forall——theyareonlyChinamen。Givethemthesamechancewithourselves——hangitall。Sheisn'tlostyet。Badenoughtobeshutupbelowinagale——"
　　"That'swhatIthoughtwhenyougavemethejob，sir，"
　　interjectedJukes，moodily。
　　"——withoutbeingbatteredtopieces，"pursuedCaptainMacWhirrwithrisingvehemence。"Couldn'tletthatgooninmyship，ifI
　　knewshehadn'tfiveminutestolive。Couldn'tbearit，Mr。
　　Jukes。"
　　Ahollowechoingnoise，likethatofashoutrollinginarockychasm，approachedtheshipandwentawayagain。Thelaststar，blurred，enlarged，asifreturningtothefierymistofitsbeginning，struggledwiththecolossaldepthofblacknesshangingovertheship——andwentout。
　　"Nowforit!"mutteredCaptainMacWhirr。"Mr。Jukes。"
　　"Here，sir。"
　　Thetwomenweregrowingindistincttoeachother。
　　"Wemusttrusthertogothroughitandcomeoutontheotherside。That'splainandstraight。There'snoroomforCaptainWilson'sstorm-strategyhere。"
　　"No，sir。"
　　"Shewillbesmotheredandsweptagainforhours，"mumbledtheCaptain。"There'snotmuchleftbythistimeabovedeckfortheseatotakeaway——unlessyouorme。"
　　"Both，sir，"whisperedJukes，breathlessly。
　　"Youarealwaysmeetingtroublehalfway，Jukes，"CaptainMacWhirrremonstratedquaintly。"Thoughit'safactthatthesecondmateisnogood。D'yehear，Mr。Jukes？Youwouldbeleftaloneif……"
　　CaptainMacWhirrinterruptedhimself，andJukes，glancingonallsides，remainedsilent。
　　"Don'tyoubeputoutbyanything，"theCaptaincontinued，mumblingratherfast。"Keepherfacingit。Theymaysaywhattheylike，buttheheaviestseasrunwiththewind。Facingit——
　　alwaysfacingit——that'sthewaytogetthrough。Youareayoungsailor。Faceit。That'senoughforanyman。Keepacoolhead。"
　　"Yes，sir，"saidJukes，withaflutteroftheheart。
　　InthenextfewsecondstheCaptainspoketotheengine-roomandgotananswer。
　　ForsomereasonJukesexperiencedanaccessofconfidence，asensationthatcamefromoutsidelikeawarmbreath，andmadehimfeelequaltoeverydemand。Thedistantmutteringofthedarknessstoleintohisears。Henoteditunmoved，outofthatsuddenbeliefinhimself，asamansafeinashirtofmailwouldwatchapoint。
　　Theshiplabouredwithoutintermissionamongsttheblackhillsofwater，payingwiththishardtumblingthepriceofherlife。Sherumbledinherdepths，shakingawhiteplummetofsteamintothenight，andJukes'thoughtskimmedlikeabirdthroughtheengine-room，whereMr。Rout——goodman——wasready。Whentherumblingceaseditseemedtohimthattherewasapauseofeverysound，adeadpauseinwhichCaptainMacWhirr'svoicerangoutstartlingly。
　　"What'sthat？Apuffofwind？"——itspokemuchlouderthanJukeshadeverhearditbefore——"Onthebow。That'sright。
　　Shemaycomeoutofityet。"
　　Themutterofthewindsdrewnearapace。Intheforefrontcouldbedistinguishedadrowsywakingplaintpassingon，andfaroffthegrowthofamultipleclamour，marchingandexpanding。Therewasthethrobasofmanydrumsinit，aviciousrushingnote，andlikethechantofatrampingmultitude。
　　Jukescouldnolongerseehiscaptaindistinctly。Thedarknesswasabsolutelypilingitselfupontheship。Atmosthemadeoutmovements，ahintofelbowsspreadout，ofaheadthrownup。
　　CaptainMacWhirrwastryingtodoupthetopbuttonofhisoilskincoatwithunwontedhaste。Thehurricane，withitspowertomaddentheseas，tosinkships，touproottrees，tooverturnstrongwallsanddashtheverybirdsoftheairtotheground，hadfoundthistaciturnmaninitspath，and，doingitsutmost，hadmanagedtowringoutafewwords。Beforetherenewedwrathofwindsswoopedonhisship，CaptainMacWhirrwasmovedtodeclare，inatoneofvexation，asitwere:"Iwouldn'tliketoloseher。"
　　Hewassparedthatannoyance。
　　VI
　　ONAbrightsunshinyday，withthebreezechasinghersmokefarahead，theNan-ShancameintoFu-chau。Herarrivalwasatoncenoticedonshore，andtheseameninharboursaid:"Look!Lookatthatsteamer。What'sthat？Siamese——isn'tshe？Justlookather!"
　　Sheseemed，indeed，tohavebeenusedasarunningtargetforthesecondarybatteriesofacruiser。Ahailofminorshellscouldnothavegivenherupperworksamorebroken，torn，anddevastatedaspect:andshehadabouthertheworn，wearyairofshipscomingfromthefarendsoftheworld——andindeedwithtruth，forinhershortpassageshehadbeenveryfar；sighting，verily，eventhecoastoftheGreatBeyond，whencenoshipeverreturnstogiveuphercrewtothedustoftheearth。Shewasincrustedandgraywithsalttothetrucksofhermastsandtothetopofherfunnel；asthoughassomefacetiousseamansaid
　　"thecrowdonboardhadfishedheroutsomewherefromthebottomoftheseaandbroughtherinhereforsalvage。"Andfurther，excitedbythefelicityofhisownwit，heofferedtogivefivepoundsforher——"asshestands。"
　　Beforeshehadbeenquiteanhouratrest，ameagrelittleman，withared-tippednoseandafacecastinanangrymould，landedfromasampanonthequayoftheForeignConcession，andincontinentlyturnedtoshakehisfistather。
　　Atallindividual，withlegsmuchtoothinforarotundstomach，andwithwateryeyes，strolledupandremarked，"Justlefther——
　　eh？Quickwork。"
　　Heworeasoiledsuitofblueflannelwithapairofdirtycricketingshoes；adingygraymoustachedroopedfromhislip，anddaylightcouldbeseenintwoplacesbetweentherimandthecrownofhishat。
　　"Hallo!whatareyoudoinghere？"askedtheexsecond-mateoftheNan-Shan，shakinghandshurriedly。
　　"Standingbyforajob——chanceworthtaking——gotaquiethint，"explainedthemanwiththebrokenhat，injerky，apatheticwheezes。
　　ThesecondshookhisfistagainattheNan-Shan。"There'safellowtherethatain'tfittohavethecommandofascow，"hedeclared，quiveringwithpassion，whiletheotherlookedaboutlistlessly。
　　"Isthere？"
　　Buthecaughtsightonthequayofaheavyseaman'schest，paintedbrownunderafringedsailclothcover，andlashedwithnewmanilaline。Heeyeditwithawakenedinterest。
　　"Iwouldtalkandraisetroubleifitwasn'tforthatdamnedSiameseflag。Nobodytogoto——orIwouldmakeithotforhim。
　　Thefraud!Toldhischiefengineer——that'sanotherfraudforyou——Ihadlostmynerve。Thegreatestlotofignorantfoolsthateversailedtheseas。No!Youcan'tthink……"
　　"Gotyourmoneyallright？"inquiredhisseedyacquaintancesuddenly。
　　"Yes。Paidmeoffonboard，"ragedthesecondmate。"'Getyourbreakfastonshore，'sayshe。"
　　"Meanskunk!"commentedthetallman，vaguely，andpassedhistongueonhislips。"Whatabouthavingadrinkofsomesort？"
　　"Hestruckme，"hissedthesecondmate。
　　"No!Struck!Youdon'tsay？"Themaninbluebegantobustleaboutsympathetically。"Can'tpossiblytalkhere。Iwanttoknowallaboutit。
　　Struck——eh？Let'sgetafellowtocarryyourchest。Iknowaquietplacewheretheyhavesomebottledbeer……"
　　Mr。Jukes，whohadbeenscanningtheshorethroughapairofglasses，informedthechiefengineerafterwardsthat"ourlatesecondmatehasn'tbeenlonginfindingafriend。Achaplookinguncommonlylikeabummer。Isawthemwalkawaytogetherfromthequay。"
　　ThehammeringandbangingoftheneedfulrepairsdidnotdisturbCaptainMacWhirr。Thestewardfoundintheletterhewrote，inatidychart-room，passagesofsuchabsorbinginterestthattwicehewasnearlycaughtintheact。ButMrs。MacWhirr，inthedrawing-roomoftheforty-poundhouse，stifledayawn——perhapsoutofself-respect——forshewasalone。
　　Shereclinedinaplush-bottomedandgilthammockchairnearatiledfireplace，withJapanesefansonthemantelandaglowofcoalsinthegrate。Liftingherhands，sheglancedwearilyhereandthereintothemanypages。Itwasnotherfaulttheyweresoprosy，socompletelyuninteresting——from"Mydarlingwife"atthebeginning，to"Yourlovinghusband"attheend。Shecouldn'tbereallyexpectedtounderstandalltheseshipaffairs。Shewasglad，ofcourse，tohearfromhim，butshehadneveraskedherselfwhy，precisely。
　　"……Theyarecalledtyphoons……Thematedidnotseemtolikeit……Notinbooks……Couldn'tthinkoflettingitgoon……"
　　Thepaperrustledsharply。"……Acalmthatlastedmorethantwentyminutes，"shereadperfunctorily；andthenextwordsherthoughtlesseyescaught，onthetopofanotherpage，were:
　　"seeyouandthechildrenagain……"Shehadamovementofimpatience。Hewasalwaysthinkingofcominghome。Hehadneverhadsuchagoodsalarybefore。Whatwasthematternow？
　　Itdidnotoccurtohertoturnbackoverleaftolook。Shewouldhavefounditrecordedtherethatbetween4and6A。M。onDecember25th，CaptainMacWhirrdidactuallythinkthathisshipcouldnotpossiblyliveanotherhourinsuchasea，andthathewouldneverseehiswifeandchildrenagain。Nobodywastoknowthishislettersgotmislaidsoquickly——nobodywhateverbutthesteward，whohadbeengreatlyimpressedbythatdisclosure。
　　Somuchso，thathetriedtogivethecooksomeideaofthe"narrowsqueakweallhad"bysayingsolemnly，"Theoldmanhimselfhadadam'pooropinionofourchance。"
　　"Howdoyouknow？"asked，contemptuously，thecook，anoldsoldier。"Hehasn'ttoldyou，maybe？"
　　"Well，hedidgivemeahinttothateffect，"thestewardbrazeneditout。
　　"Getalongwithyou!Hewillbecomingtotellmenext，"jeeredtheoldcook，overhisshoulder。
　　Mrs。MacWhirrglancedfarther，onthealert。"……Dowhat'sfair……Miserableobjects……Onlythree，withabrokenlegeach，andone……Thoughthadbetterkeepthematterquiet……hopetohavedonethefairthing……"
　　Sheletfallherhands。No:therewasnothingmoreaboutcominghome。Musthavebeenmerelyexpressingapiouswish。Mrs。
　　MacWhirr'smindwassetatease，andablackmarbleclock，pricedbythelocaljewellerat£；318s。6d。，hadadiscreetstealthytick。
　　Thedoorflewopen，andagirlinthelong-legged，short-frockedperiodofexistence，flungintotheroom。
　　Alotofcolourless，ratherlankyhairwasscatteredoverhershoulders。Seeinghermother，shestoodstill，anddirectedherpalepryingeyesupontheletter。
　　"Fromfather，"murmuredMrs。MacWhirr。"Whathaveyoudonewithyourribbon？"
　　Thegirlputherhandsuptoherheadandpouted。
　　"He'swell，"continuedMrs。MacWhirrlanguidly。"AtleastIthinkso。Heneversays。"Shehadalittlelaugh。Thegirl'sfaceexpressedawanderingindifference，andMrs。MacWhirrsurveyedherwithfondpride。
　　"Goandgetyourhat，"shesaidafterawhile。"Iamgoingouttodosomeshopping。ThereisasaleatLinom's。"
　　"Oh，howjolly!"utteredthechild，impressively，inunexpectedlygravevibratingtones，andboundedoutoftheroom。
　　Itwasafineafternoon，withagrayskyanddrysidewalks。
　　Outsidethedraper'sMrs。MacWhirrsmileduponawomaninablackmantleofgenerousproportionsarmouredinjetandcrownedwithflowersbloomingfalselyaboveabiliousmatronlycountenance。
　　Theybrokeintoaswiftlittlebabbleofgreetingsandexclamationsbothtogether，veryhurried，asifthestreetwerereadytoyawnopenandswallowallthatpleasurebeforeitcouldbeexpressed。
　　Behindthemthehighglassdoorswerekeptontheswing。Peoplecouldn'tpass，menstoodasidewaitingpatiently，andLydiawasabsorbedinpokingtheendofherparasolbetweenthestoneflags。Mrs。MacWhirrtalkedrapidly。
　　"Thankyouverymuch。He'snotcominghomeyet。Ofcourseit'sverysadtohavehimaway，butit'ssuchacomforttoknowhekeepssowell。"Mrs。MacWhirrdrewbreath。"Theclimatethereagreeswithhim，"sheadded，beamingly，asifpoorMacWhirrhadbeenawaytouringinChinaforthesakeofhishealth。
　　Neitherwasthechiefengineercominghomeyet。Mr。Routknewtoowellthevalueofagoodbillet。
　　"Solomonsayswonderswillnevercease，"criedMrs。Routjoyouslyattheoldladyinherarmchairbythefire。Mr。Rout'smothermovedslightly，herwitheredhandslyinginblackhalf-mittensonherlap。
　　Theeyesoftheengineer'swifefairlydancedonthepaper。
　　"Thatcaptainoftheshipheisin——arathersimpleman，youremember，mother？——hasdonesomethingratherclever，Solomonsays。"
　　"Yes，mydear，"saidtheoldwomanmeekly，sittingwithbowedsilveryhead，andthatairofinwardstillnesscharacteristicofveryoldpeoplewhoseemlostinwatchingthelastflickersoflife。"IthinkIremember。"
　　SolomonRout，OldSol，FatherSol，theChief，"Rout，goodman"——
　　Mr。Rout，thecondescendingandpaternalfriendofyouth，hadbeenthebabyofhermanychildren——alldeadbythistime。Andsherememberedhimbestasaboyoften——longbeforehewentawaytoservehisapprenticeshipinsomegreatengineeringworksintheNorth。Shehadseensolittleofhimsince，shehadgonethroughsomanyyears，thatshehadnowtoretraceherstepsveryfarbacktorecognizehimplainlyinthemistoftime。Sometimesitseemedthatherdaughter-in-lawwastalkingofsomestrangeman。
　　Mrs。Routjuniorwasdisappointed。"H'm。H'm。"Sheturnedthepage。"Howprovoking!Hedoesn'tsaywhatitis。SaysI
　　couldn'tunderstandhowmuchtherewasinit。Fancy!Whatcoulditbesoveryclever？Whatawretchedmannottotellus!"
　　Shereadonwithoutfurtherremarksoberly，andatlastsatlookingintothefire。Thechiefwrotejustawordortwoofthetyphoon；butsomethinghadmovedhimtoexpressanincreasedlongingforthecompanionshipofthejollywoman。"Ifithadn'tbeenthatmothermustbelookedafter，Iwouldsendyouyourpassage-moneyto-day。Youcouldsetupasmallhouseouthere。
　　Iwouldhaveachancetoseeyousometimesthen。Wearenotgrowingyounger……"
　　"He'swell，mother，"sighedMrs。Rout，rousingherself。
　　"Healwayswasastronghealthyboy，"saidtheoldwoman，placidly。
　　ButMr。Jukes'accountwasreallyanimatedandveryfull。HisfriendintheWesternOceantradeimparteditfreelytotheotherofficersofhisliner。"AchapIknowwritestomeaboutanextraordinaryaffairthathappenedonboardhisshipinthattyphoon——youknow——thatwereadofinthepaperstwomonthsago。It'sthefunniestthing!Justseeforyourselfwhathesays。I'llshowyouhisletter。"
　　Therewerephrasesinitcalculatedtogivetheimpressionoflight-hearted，indomitableresolution。Jukeshadwrittenthemingoodfaith，forhefeltthuswhenhewrote。Hedescribedwithlurideffectthescenesinthe'tween-deck。"……ItstruckmeinaflashthatthoseconfoundedChinamencouldn'ttellweweren'tadesperatekindofrobbers。'Tisn'tgoodtoparttheChinamanfromhismoneyifheisthestrongerparty。Weneedhavebeendesperateindeedtogothievinginsuchweather，butwhatcouldthesebeggarsknowofus？So，withoutthinkingofittwice，Igotthehandsawayinajiffy。Ourworkwasdone——thattheoldmanhadsethishearton。Weclearedoutwithoutstayingtoinquirehowtheyfelt。Iamconvincedthatiftheyhadnotbeensounmercifullyshaken，andafraid——eachindividualoneofthem——tostandup，wewouldhavebeentorntopieces。Oh!Itwasprettycomplete，Icantellyou；andyoumayruntoandfroacrossthePondtotheendoftimebeforeyoufindyourselfwithsuchajobonyourhands。"
　　Afterthishealludedprofessionallytothedamagedonetotheship，andwentonthus:
　　"Itwaswhentheweatherquieteddownthatthesituationbecameconfoundedlydelicate。Itwasn'tmadeanybetterbyushavingbeenlatelytransferredtotheSiameseflag；thoughtheskippercan'tseethatitmakesanydifference——'aslongasweareonboard'-hesays。Therearefeelingsthatthismansimplyhasn'tgot——andthere'sanendofit。Youmightjustaswelltrytomakeabedpostunderstand。ButapartfromthisitisaninfernallylonelystateforashiptobegoingabouttheChinaseaswithnoproperconsuls，notevenagunboatofherownanywhere，norabodytogotoincaseofsometrouble。
　　"MynotionwastokeeptheseJohnniesunderhatchesforanotherfifteenhoursorso；asweweren'tmuchfartherthanthatfromFu-chau。Wewouldfindthere，mostlikely，somesortofaman-of-war，andonceunderhergunsweweresafeenough；forsurelyanyskipperofaman-of-war——English，FrenchorDutch-wouldseewhitementhroughasfarasrowonboardgoes。WecouldgetridofthemandtheirmoneyafterwardsbydeliveringthemtotheirMandarinorTaotai，orwhatevertheycallthesechapsingogglesyouseebeingcarriedaboutinsedan-chairsthroughtheirstinkingstreets。
　　"Theoldmanwouldn'tseeitsomehow。Hewantedtokeepthematterquiet。Hegotthatnotionintohishead，andasteamwindlasscouldn'tdragitoutofhim。Hewantedaslittlefussmadeaspossible，forthesakeoftheship'snameandforthesakeoftheowners——'forthesakeofallconcerned，'sayshe，lookingatmeveryhard。
　　Itmademeangryhot。Ofcourseyoucouldn'tkeepathinglikethatquiet；butthechestshadbeensecuredintheusualmannerandweresafeenoughforanyearthlygale，whilethishadbeenanaltogetherfiendishbusinessIcouldn'tgiveyouevenanideaof。
　　"Meantime，Icouldhardlykeeponmyfeet。Noneofushadaspellofanysortfornearlythirtyhours，andtheretheoldmansatrubbinghischin，rubbingthetopofhishead，andsobotheredhedidn'teventhinkofpullinghislongbootsoff。
　　"'Ihope，sir，'saysI，'youwon'tbelettingthemoutondeckbeforewemakereadyfortheminsomeshapeorother。'Not，mindyou，thatIfeltverysanguineaboutcontrollingthesebeggarsiftheymeanttotakecharge。AtroublewithacargoofChinamenisnochild'splay。Iwasdam'tired，too。'Iwish，'saidI，'youwouldletusthrowthewholelotofthesedollarsdowntothemandleavethemtofightitoutamongstthemselves，whilewegetarest。'
　　"'Nowyoutalkwild，Jukes，'sayshe，lookingupinhisslowwaythatmakesyouacheallover，somehow。'Wemustplanoutsomethingthatwouldbefairtoallparties。'
　　"Ihadnoendofworkonhand，asyoumayimagine，soIsetthehandsgoing，andthenIthoughtIwouldturninabit。Ihadn'tbeenasleepinmybunktenminuteswheninrushesthestewardandbeginstopullatmyleg。
　　"'ForGod'ssake，Mr。Jukes，comeout!Comeondeckquick，sir。
　　Oh，docomeout!'
　　"Thefellowscaredallthesenseoutofme。Ididn'tknowwhathadhappened:anotherhurricane——orwhat。Couldhearnowind。
　　"'TheCaptain'slettingthemout。Oh，heislettingthemout!
　　Jumpondeck，sir，andsaveus。Thechiefengineerhasjustrunbelowforhisrevolver。'
　　"That'swhatIunderstoodthefooltosay。However，FatherRoutswearshewentinthereonlytogetacleanpocket-handkerchief。
　　Anyhow，Imadeonejumpintomytrousersandflewondeckaft。
　　Therewascertainlyagooddealofnoisegoingonforwardofthebridge。Fourofthehandswiththeboss'nwereatworkabaft。I
　　passeduptothemsomeoftheriflesalltheshipsontheChinacoastcarryinthecabin，andledthemonthebridge。OnthewayIranagainstOldSol，lookingstartledandsuckingatanunlightedcigar。
　　"'Comealong，'Ishoutedtohim。
　　"Wecharged，thesevenofus，uptothechart-room。Allwasover。
　　Therestoodtheoldmanwithhissea-bootsstilldrawnuptothehipsandinshirt-sleeves-gotwarmthinkingitout，Isuppose。
　　BunHin'sdandyclerkathiselbow，asdirtyasasweep，wasstillgreenintheface。IcouldseedirectlyIwasinforsomething。
　　"'Whatthedevilarethesemonkeytricks，Mr。Jukes？'askstheoldman，asangryaseverhecouldbe。Itellyoufranklyitmademelosemytongue。'ForGod'ssake，Mr。Jukes，'sayshe，'dotakeawaytheseriflesfromthemen。Somebody'ssuretogethurtbeforelongifyoudon't。Damme，ifthisshipisn'tworsethanBedlam!Looksharpnow。IwantyouupheretohelpmeandBunHin'sChinamantocountthatmoney。Youwouldn'tmindlendingahand，too，Mr。Rout，nowyouarehere。Themoreofusthebetter。'
　　"HehadsettleditallinhismindwhileIwashavingasnooze。
　　HadwebeenanEnglishship，oronlygoingtolandourcargoofcooliesinanEnglishport，likeHong-Kong，forinstance，therewouldhavebeennoendofinquiriesandbother，claimsfordamagesandsoon。ButtheseChinamenknowtheirofficialsbetterthanwedo。
　　"Thehatcheshadbeentakenoffalready，andtheywereallondeckafteranightandadaydownbelow。Itmadeyoufeelqueertoseesomanygaunt，wildfacestogether。Thebeggarsstaredaboutatthesky，atthesea，attheship，asthoughtheyhadexpectedthewholethingtohavebeenblowntopieces。Andnowonder!Theyhadhadadoingthatwouldhaveshakenthesouloutofawhiteman。ButthentheysayaChinamanhasnosoul。Hehas，though，somethingabouthimthatisdeucedtough。Therewasafellowamongstothersofthebadlyhurtwhohadhadhiseyeallbutknockedout。Itstoodoutofhisheadthesizeofhalfahen'segg。Thiswouldhavelaidoutawhitemanonhisbackforamonth:andyettherewasthatchapelbowinghereandthereinthecrowdandtalkingtotheothersasifnothinghadbeenthematter。Theymadeagreathubbubamongstthemselves，andwhenevertheoldmanshowedhisbaldheadontheforesideofthebridge，theywouldallleaveoffjawingandlookathimfrombelow。
　　"ItseemsthatafterhehaddonehisthinkinghemadethatBunHin'sfellowgodownandexplaintothemtheonlywaytheycouldgettheirmoneyback。Hetoldmeafterwardsthat，allthecoolieshavingworkedinthesameplaceandforthesamelengthoftime，hereckonedhewouldbedoingthefairthingbythemasnearaspossibleifhesharedallthecashwehadpickedupequallyamongthelot。Youcouldn'ttelloneman'sdollarsfromanother's，hesaid，andifyouaskedeachmanhowmuchmoneyhebroughtonboardhewasafraidtheywouldlie，andhewouldfindhimselfalongwayshort。Ithinkhewasrightthere。AstogivingupthemoneytoanyChineseofficialhecouldscareupinFu-chau，hesaidhemightjustaswellputthelotinhisownpocketatonceforallthegooditwouldbetothem。Isupposetheythoughtso，too。
　　"Wefinishedthedistributionbeforedark。Itwasratherasight:thesearunninghigh，theshipawrecktolookat，theseChinamenstaggeringuponthebridgeonebyonefortheirshare，andtheoldmanstillbooted，andinhisshirt-sleeves，busypayingoutatthechartroomdoor，perspiringlikeanything，andnowandthencomingdownsharponmyselforFatherRoutaboutonethingoranothernotquitetohismind。HetooktheshareofthosewhoweredisabledhimselftothemontheNo。2hatch。
　　Therewerethreedollarsleftover，andthesewenttothethreemostdamagedcoolies，onetoeach。Weturned-toafterwards，andshovelledoutondeckheapsofwetrags，allsortsoffragmentsofthingswithoutshape，andthatyoucouldn'tgiveanameto，andletthemsettletheownershipthemselves。
　　"Thiscertainlyiscomingasnearascanbetokeepingthethingquietforthebenefitofallconcerned。What'syouropinion，youpamperedmail-boatswell？Theoldchiefsaysthatthiswasplainlytheonlythingthatcouldbedone。Theskipperremarkedtometheotherday，'Therearethingsyoufindnothingaboutinbooks。'Ithinkthathegotoutofitverywellforsuchastupidman。"