Henry was the fourteenth of us to go overside into the dark and salty
disintegration of the sea. And in one day he has been well avenged;
for two of the mutineers have followed him. The steward called my
attention to what was taking place. He touched my arm half beyond
his servant's self, as he gloated for'ard at the men heaving two
corpses overside. Weighted with coal, they sank immediately, so that
we could not identify them.
"They have been fighting," I said. "It is good that they should
fight among themselves."
But the old Chinese merely grinned and shook his head.
"You don't think they have been fighting?" I queried.
"No fight. They eat'm mollyhawk and albatross; mollyhawk and
albatross eat'm fat pork; two men he die, plenty men much sick, you
bet, damn to hell me very much glad. I savve."
And I think he was right. While I was busy baiting the sea-birds the
mutineers were catching them, and of a surety they must have caught
some that had eaten of my various poisons.
The two poisoned ones went over the side yesterday.
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