Brander nodded. "Thanks, sir," he said. He adopted, easily and without abasement, the attitude of a fo'mast hand toward the officer, and went ahead of the mate and Faith to stow his bundle in the boat. The other men waiting there questioned him; but they all fell silent as Mr. Ham and Faith came to where the boat waited. Tichel had already taken the water casks out to the whaler. The men took the whaleboat and dragged it down to the water. When it was half afloat, Faith and the mate got in. The men shoved off, wading till the water was deep enough for them to clamber aboard and snatch their oars and push out through the rollers.... They worked desperately for a little, till they were clear of the turbulent waters of the beach; then settled to their work.... Brander sat amidships, his bundle at his feet, lending a hand now and then on the oar of the man who faced him. Once he looked toward Faith; she met his eyes.... Neither spoke, neither smiled.... The island was receding behind them; Brander turned to watch it. They drew alongside the _Sally_. Dan'l Tobey was at the rail to receive them. The mate stood in the tossing boat and lifted Faith easily to Dan'l at the rail; he swung her aboard. Mr. Ham followed; then Brander; then the men. The mate saw to the unloading of the boat, saw it safely stowed. Then turned to Brander, "Come and see the Old Man," he said. Dan'l Tobey heard. "He's asleep," he told Mr. Ham. "Who is this?" The mate said: "He wants to ship. Says he was on the _Thomas Morgan_." Dan'l looked at Brander. Mr. Ham added: "The captain's wife found him in the bush." Dan'l drawled: "Beach comber.... Eh?" Brander said respectfully: "No, sir. I lived on the hill, there.... The highest one. You can make out my place with the glass...." "He was third mate on the _Thomas Morgan_," said Mr. Ham. "We don't need an officer," Dan'l suggested. Brander sensed the fact that Dan'l disliked him; he wondered at it. "I'm asking to ship as a seaman, sir," he said. Mr. Ham looked at Dan'l. "Best speak to the captain?" he asked. "Oh, set him ashore," Dan'l suggested. "He's a troublemaker. Too wise for the fo'c's'le...." He looked to Brander insolently. "Can't you see he's a man of education, Mr. Ham? What would he want to ship before the mast for?" Mr. Ham looked puzzled. "How about it?" he asked Brander sharply. Brander smiled. "I did it, in the beginning, for sport," he said. "Now I'm doing it to get home. If you need a man.... If not, I'll go ashore...." Faith, standing by, said quietly: "Ship him, Mr. Ham." Her words were not a request; they were a command. Dan'l looked at her swiftly, shrewdly. Mr. Ham obeyed, with the instant instinct of obedience to that tone.... It was not till days later that Faith wondered why she had spoken; wondered why she had ventured to command.... And wondered why Mr. Ham obeyed.... It gave her, somehow, a sense of power.... He had obeyed her, as he would have obeyed Noll, her husband....