That stirred him. “Great Lord, gone in that shoe-box! Why, Joe, I’d as soon put to sea in a market basket calked with butter. And the man that’s got her––Dave Warner! He’s crazy, Joe, if ever a man was crazy. Clean out of his head over a girl that he met in Gloucester once, but now living in Halifax, and she won’t have anything to do with him. He’s daffy over her. If she was drowning alongside you’d curse your luck because you had to gaff her in. That is, you would only she’s a woman, of course. Wants to get lost, Joe, I believe––wants to! If this was Boston or New York and in older days, I’d say that Dave and Withrow must have shanghaied a crew to man the Flamingo’s kind. But you c’n get men here to go in anything sometimes. Wait a bit and I’ll be along with you. We’ll see old Duncan and maybe we c’n head the Flamingo off.”
XXXVII
THE GIRL IN CANSO
That was Saturday evening. The crew of the Johnnie had been told just after the race by the skipper that he would not need them again until Monday. Scattering on that, some going to Boston, they could not be got together again until Monday morning, and it was not until Monday noon that we got away.
We fitted out as though for a Cape Shore seining trip, and that’s what we were to do in case we missed the Flamingo or could not persuade her skipper or Maurice himself that he ought to leave her and come back on the Johnnie Duncan. It was Clancy who had the matter in charge. Indeed, it was only Clancy who knew what it was really all about.
We had a good run-off before a stiff westerly that gradually hauled to the north, and Tuesday night late saw us in Halifax Harbor. It was too late to do anything that night, but Clancy went ashore to find out what he could. Before sunrise he was back with word to break out the anchor and put to sea. He had word of the Flamingo.
“That girl of Dave’s––it seems she’s moved to Canso with her folks, and Dave’s gone there. He’s probably there before this––maybe left again. She’s an old plug, the Flamingo, but she ought’ve made Canso before this. He only stayed a few hours here and left Monday.”