“It’s good you think so. But to the wheel now. Who’s first watch?”
“O Sam”— Gillis was peering into the binnacle—“her compass is busted!”
Sam ran aft to see for himself. “So it is. Man, but they’ve had crazy doin’s aboard this one.”
“Aye, and her rudder’s been pounded off,” came from another.
“No compass and no rudder, hah? Wouldn’t that jolt you, though? Well—” Sam looked around. “O Skipper,” he hailed to his vessel, “you’ll have to come under our stern and make the Buccaneer act as a rudder for this one.”
“It’s easy done,” said Crump, and passed up the lines to hold the Buccaneer in proper fashion to the bark.
With everything fast and taut and the bark beginning to show signs of life, the Ice King ranged alongside the Buccaneer.
Dixey’s head was poked out the pilot-house. “I say, Captain,” he called, “you’ll never be able to beat home with her. What d’y’ say if you take our line and we tow you both to Boston—or Gloucester? It’s out of the question you gettin’ her home under sail. You keep your gang aboard to keep her pumped out, and I’ll tow her and we’ll split the salvage. What d’y’ say? You’ll never see home and you hang on to her.”
“And you the man wouldn’t lend us your old boat?” called back Crump.
“That’s all right, Captain. Business is business. Better take my line. You’ll never see home and you hang on to her that way.”