“This ’ere delay is a bad thing,” the old sailor declared, when Miss Frances had left them to talk the matter over. “If I hadn’t been laid up all these weeks in the hospital, I sh’d ha’ follered up the brig long before, and had the di’monds. Now we’ve got two—yes, three—circumstances against us.
“First and foremost is the fact that the Swan has already been afloat ’most two months, an’ that’s longer than the majority of derelicts last. Then these confounded cruisers may get after her any minute, which will be remarkably bad for our plans. And thirdly, as the parsons say, there’s that rascal Leroyd. He’s not the man I think him if he doesn’t make a break for the wreck at once.”
“And he’s got the papers, too,” interjected Mr. Pepper.
Caleb smiled at this, but said nothing in reply, continuing his remarks:
“Now, I’ve seen a good many derelicts in my time—a good many—but if the Silver Swan is in the shape I think her, she’s liable (setting aside accident) to float for months. And she’s got lots of company, too.”
“I should think these derelicts would be dreadfully dangerous,” suggested Brandon, with all the curiosity of a boy about anything pertaining to sea and sea going.
“They are,” declared Caleb; “more dangerous, it’s likely, than anybody dreams of. Many a good ship—steamers and sailing vessels both—has doubtless gone to Davy Jones’ Locker because of them. Take one o’ these ’ere European steamships making time across the ocean; she strikes a derelict—a coal laden one, mebbe; they’re the most dangerous—and we never hear of her again.
“I’ll never forget something that happened when I was mate of the American bark Neptune, several years ago. The Neptune were a mighty speedy craft, an’ Cap’n Tollman was a terror for crowding on all sail.
“We was scuddin’ along one dark night before a stiff easterly gale, an’ I had the deck. It was just before eight bells—half past three o’clock, mebbe—when all to onct the man on lookout gave a yell that fairly riz my hair on end.
“‘A wreck! dead ahead!’ he yelled. ‘Down with your helm! hard down!’