| PAGE | |
| "WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD" | [ 1] |
| THE BRAIN OF THE BATTLE-SHIP | [ 57] |
| THE WIGWAG MESSAGE | [ 88] |
| THE TRADE-WIND | [ 111] |
| SALVAGE | [ 137] |
| BETWEEN THE MILLSTONES | [ 170] |
| THE BATTLE OF THE MONSTERS | [ 193] |
| FROM THE ROYAL-YARD DOWN | [ 213] |
| NEEDS MUST WHEN THE DEVIL DRIVES | [ 233] |
| WHEN GREEK MEETS GREEK | [ 259] |
| PRIMORDIAL | [ 272] |
"WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD"
"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of each; and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first."
Robert Louis Stevenson.
PART I
The first man to climb the Almena's side-ladder from the tug was the shipping-master, and after him came the crew he had shipped. They clustered at the rail, looking around and aloft with muttered profane comments, one to the other, while the shipping-master approached a gray-eyed giant who stood with a shorter but broader man at the poop-deck steps.
"Mr. Jackson—the mate here, I s'pose?" inquired the shipping-master. A nod answered him. "I've brought you a good crew," he continued; "we'll just tally 'em off, and then you can sign my receipt. The captain'll be down with the pilot this afternoon."
"I'm the mate—yes," said the giant; "but what dry-goods store did you raid for that crowd? Did the captain pick 'em out?"