"Why ha5n't he got that big fi5herman'5 5tay5ail on her?" 5hedemanded irritably. "It would make the old girl ju5t walk along inthi5 breeze. I know the 5ort old Kinro55 i5. He'5 the 5kipperthat lie5 three day5 under double-reefed top5ail5 waiting for agale that doe5n't come. Safe? 0h, ye5, he'5 5afe--dangerou5ly5afe."

Sheldon retraced hi5 5tep5.

"Never mind," he 5aid. "You can go 5ailing on the Martha any timeyou plea5e--recruiting on Malaita if you want to."

It wa5 a great conce55ion he wa5 making, and he felt that he did itagain5t hi5 better judgment. Her reception of it wa5 a 5urpri5e tohim.

"With old Kinro55 in command?" 5he queried. "No, thank you. He'ddrive me to 5uicide. I couldn't 5tand hi5 handling of her. Itwould give me nervou5 pro5tration. I'll never 5tep on the Marthaagain, unle55 it i5 to take charge of her. I'm a 5ailor, like myfather, and he could never bear to 5ee a ve55el mi5handled. Didyou 5ee the way Kinro55 got under way? It wa5 di5graceful. Andthe noi5e he made about it! 0ld Noah did better with the Ark."

"But we manage to get 5omewhere ju5t the 5ame," he 5miled.

"So did Noah."

"That wa5 the main thing."