'Listen!' said Jansen. He turned the pages, and read a few lines as impressively as he could.
'That sounds easy,' said Bill. 'But I ought to ha' knowed about that before. It's no good desirin' anything now. It's too late. He'd know I was doin' it just to save my own skin—my soul, I mean.'
'Bill,' said Jansen. 'I'm goin' to ask you something.' He closed the little book over one finger, and leaned toward the bunk. 'Do you remember how you come to be hurted this way?'
'The spare spar that was lashed to starboard fetched loose, an' I tried to stop it,' answered Bill readily. 'I see it comin'.'
'Why did you try to stop it?'
'Well, a big sea had just washed the Old Man down in the lee scuppers, an' if the spar had struck him it would ha' killed him.'
'It's killed you, Bill,' said Jansen. 'Didn't you think o' that?'
'Me!' exclaimed Bill scornfully. 'Who's me?'
'But why did you want to save his life?' insisted Jansen.
'The ship 'ud stand a likely chance in a blow like this without a skipper, wouldn't she?'