“‘Well,’ he said, at length, ‘there would be the crew to be considered, as well as myself, in a case of that sort. We’re all working on shares. Captain gets half, and the other half of the net proceeds are divided _pro rata_ among the petty officers and crew. What would suit me mightn’t suit them.’ “‘Well, what could you reasonably expect to take on the home voyage with average luck?’ I said, returning to the charge. “‘Half a dozen sperm-whales wouldn’t be out of the way,’ returned the captain, cheerily; ‘might get more. Catch might range anywhere from twenty to forty thousand dollars.’ “‘Call it thirty thousand,’ I said; ‘would that be a fair average?’ “‘Well, there’s twenty-two of a crew. That would net about seven hundred dollars apiece for their share. I don’t think they would growl at that. Fifteen thousand would suit me, and I think I should be very well out of it, for that matter. But why do you ask such questions?’ “‘Read that,’ I said, for answer, and shoved a slip of paper across the table. “‘Why, what’s this?’ said the captain, taking up the slip of paper and reading: Off the Parry Isles, Long. 162° W., lat. 76° N., May 14th, 1888. Bank of California, San Francisco. Pay to the order of J. F. Manson, captain whaling bark _Marion_, the sum of thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) and debit Richard Burnham. “‘Simply a check for your possible gains on the return voyage, captain. I want the use of your ship as far as San Francisco. Everything satisfactory, I suppose. Good-night.’ So saying, I strolled into my stateroom, leaving the worthy captain to deliberate upon my proposal. “Next morning I purposely got up late; but by the earnest and many-voiced conversation which I could faintly hear, upon the deck above me, I knew that the seed I had sown was germinating, if not bearing fruit. “Well, to cut a long story short, my proposal was accepted; the ice-block dug out and conveyed to the vessel with a good deal of trouble; my check certified and cashed in Victoria, where most of the crew were paid off, and----here we are. Now, suppose we adjourn to the laboratory and see if _our guest_ has completely thawed out yet.” The strong heat from the stove had, in truth, very nearly finished what the steam had begun. Though there was still a shell of ice surrounding the body, it was little more than a shell, and Dr. Dunne recommended that the next stage in the treatment should be approached with all expedition. Burnham, accordingly, went off to prepare a bath in the bath-room adjoining the studio, and when he hailed us, the doctor and myself carried in the zinc tray with the body and deposited the latter in the bath.