Blow the Man Down - A Romance of the Coast

"Nothing like luck in the fishing game, gents," observed the manager.

"Well, grit counts for something," stated Captain Candage. "We've got a

crew that ain't afraid of a little weather."

"If that's the case, there may be something for you off-coast about now

that's better than the fishing game."

"What's that?" asked the old skipper.

"Wrecking. Seen the morning papers?"

"We've had something to do besides fool with papers."

"That new Bee line steamer, Conomo, has been piled up on Razee Reef."

"One time--this last time--she hugged too close!" snapped the young man.

The others bent an inquiring gaze on him. But he did not explain. His

thoughts were busy with the events of that day when the Bee line steamer

started his troubles with Marston.

"Paper says she's considered a total loss," went on the manager. "If

that's so, and the underwriters give her up, there ought to be some fine

picking for men with grit. The board of survey went out to her on a

tug this morning." He gave them their check, and they went aboard their

schooner.

The affair of the Conomo was not mentioned between them until they

were at sea on their way to the eastward again. The piece of news did

not interest Mayo at first, except as a marine disaster that had no

bearing on his own affairs.

Captain Candage was stumping the quarter-deck, puffing at his short,

black pipe. "I don'no' as you feel anyways as I do about it, Captain

Mayo, but it ain't going to be no great outset to us if we make a leg

out to Razee and see what's going on there," he suggested.

"I have no objections," returned Mayo. "But the way things are managed

nowadays in case of wrecks, I don't see much prospect of our getting in

on the thing in any way."

"Mebbe not; but in case they're going to abandon her there'll be some

grabbing, and we might as well grab with the rest of 'em."

"If they can't get her off some junk concern will gamble on her. But

we'll make an excursion of it to see the sights, sir. We can afford a

little trip after what we pulled down to-day."

There was no hope of reaching the wreck before nightfall, so they jogged

comfortably in the light westerly that had succeeded the gale.

Captain Candage took the first watch after the second dog-watch, and

at two bells, or nine o'clock, in the evening, Mayo awoke and heard him

give orders to "pinch her." He heard the sails flap, and knew that the

men were shortening in readiness to lay to. He slipped on his outer

clothing and went on deck.