Part 8 (1/2)
”It's hazy to the east,” said Grahahtn't see her until she's close if they're not ht”
”She'll coht to collect; but ye ise in no' paying it in advance”
”You haven't seen the fellow”
”I've seen his employers,” Macallister replied with a chuckle ”Weel I ken what sort o' et the goods before ye sign the bill o' lading”
”I mean to take precautions No first-class firm would touch our business”
”Verra true And when ye find , ye cannot expect them to be fastidious about another When I deal wi'
yon kind, I keep rinned
”Asleep beloi' his hair full o' coal-dust, looking er than the son o' a rich A, but if he can stand another ht He wants to run his life on his own lines, and he is willing to pay for testing the forward, suddenly becay srew ave a seaman a quick order before he turned to his companion
”That must be the _Miranda_ You can start your hy”
By the time the boat was in the water the steamer had crept out of the mist She came on fast: a small, two-masted vessel, with a white wave beneath her full bows and a cloud of brown s high above the water, which washed up and down her wet side as she rolled A few heads projected over the iron bulwark near the break of the forecastle, and two lasses, Grahame saw they had an unkempt appearance, and he was not prepossessed in favor of the one whoraph, and when the engines stopped he juhy with Walthew and one of the sea close to the stea the water-line The black paint was scarred and peeling higher up, the white deckhouses and boats had grown dingy, and there was about her a poverty-stricken look The boat swung sharply up and down a few lengths away, for the sea broke about the descending rows of iron plates as the vessel rolled
”_Enchantress_, ahoy!” shouted one of the e ”This is the _Miranda_ S'pose you're ready for us?”
”We've been ready for you since last night,” Graha over We can't dump the stuff into that cockleshell”
”You can't,” Grahah either, and I won't risk her alongside in the swell that's running”
”Then what do you expect me to do? Wait until it's smooth?”
”No,” said Grahame; ”we'll have wind soon You'll have to take her in behind the reef, as your owners arranged It's not far off and you'll find good anchorage in six fathoms”
”And lose a day! What do you think your few cases are worth to us?”
”The freight agreed upon,” Grahame answered coolly ”You can't collect it until you hand our cargo over I'll take you in behind the reef and bring you out in three or four hours There'll be a good moon”
The skipper seemed to consult with the ht! Go ahead with your steamer and show us the way”
”I'd better coet into, but I knoell”