“Gentlemen,” he said, “this coast of Japan ground, as they call it, stretches over an awful distance. It runs clear down pretty near to the Caroline Islands. That’s south, and I shouldn’t be surprised if we touched there for supplies before we go north again. A man who cruised in this ocean and was once on this ground told me all about it.”
“There ain’t no danger from savages round here, is there?” asked one of the men.
“No danger in these days,” replied Kreelman. “In old days occasionally a whaler in this ocean was never heard from. Some thought shipwreck, some thought cuttlefish and some thought savages. I don’t know. I don’t believe there will ever be again such a case as the Sharon’s. That was twenty years ago. One of the men who was on board told me about it years ago.”
The sea was quite tranquil, we were sailing freely and there was silence. I knew that all Kreelman wanted was encouragement.
“I have heard of that case,” I observed. “It was in 1842.”
“How do you know?”
“Oh, I’ve read about it.”
“Well, readin’ ain’t always knowin’. When you hear a thing from a man who’s been there it’s first hand, and, when you get it out of a book, it’s second hand.”
“Well,” I observed, “you had no objection, not long ago, to listen to stories I took from books.”
Kreelman made no reply and on his own invitation told the story in his quaint way.