They thought him hopelessly wrong-headed and crazy, but dared not protest noisily against this useless loss of time.

When he had done he returned to the very same spot from which he had started.

The chief was there, ready with a clutch at him to whisper close to his head, scathingly, as though he wanted to bite his ear-- '"You silly fool! do you think you'll get the ghost of a show when all that lot of brutes is in the water?
Why, they will batter your head for you from these boats." 'He wrung his hands, ignored, at Jim's elbow.

The skipper kept up a nervous shuffle in one place and mumbled, "Hammer! hammer! Mein Gott! Get a hammer." 'The little engineer whimpered like a child, but, broken arm and all, he turned out the least craven of the lot as it seems, and, actually, mustered enough pluck to run an errand to the engine-room.

No trifle, it must be owned in fairness to him.