“They sail by the lay. Thou must take that into consideration,” said Captain Horsley.
“Shall we say two hundred and fifty dollars a man for the run home?” said I.
“I will let thee know,” said he. He got into his boat, and was rowed across to his ship, whose tryworks were still smoking and filling the air with a disgusting scent. There was no increase of darkness in the south, and north and east the blue sky was splendid with the sparkling of the morning; but a movement worked in the southerly swell that hinted at a fresh wind presently. Captain Horsley, however, did not keep me long waiting. First, he sent me one of his largest boats with a stock of fresh water and hands to stow the casks. His men took back my empty casks in return for their full ones; then two boats came off full of men, in one of which the captain was seated. Parties were distributed to bring up the prisoners. Meehan scowled when he saw the whaler, hung back, and fought like a devil, saying that he was a sailor, and no whaleman, and cursing me and the brig and the whaler—whatever his eye rested on, in short—until they tumbled him into the boat alongside, where I heard him roaring out to me to pay him his wages and to hand him over his share of the dollars. Call and Travers walked quietly to the gangway. Travers stopped before putting his foot over, and asked me if he was not to be paid for the work he had done.
“Mynheer Tulp is your owner,” said I. “Call upon him when you return to Amsterdam. He’ll pay you, I daresay.”
He then began to swear, upon which Captain Horsley motioned to his men, and he and Call were forthwith bundled into the boat.
“These are thy men, friend,” said the captain, pointing to four seamen and a Kanaka, who stood apart. “Four are Englishmen, and of my own town, anxious to return home. They each ask three hundred and fifty dollars.”
I looked them over, as the phrase goes, put a few questions, and, being satisfied that their quality was right, I said:
“You shall have three hundred and fifty dollars a man. Captain Horsley knows I can pay you, and the agreement shall be signed when we have filled upon the brig.”
The clothes and chests belonging to Meehan and the other two were then got up and put into the boat. Captain Horsley gave me his pump-handle of an arm to shake—or, rather, to work. I thanked him cordially for the assistance he had rendered me. He listened till I had done, and said:
“Friend, thou hast made my kindness very much worth my while.”