"I don't give a damn what you want," Noll cried. "Get up on deck, where you belong. Sharp...." Brander stood his ground. "One of my men has cut his hand," he said. "I want some stuff to fix it up." Noll wavered.... He threw up his hands. "All right. Get what you want.... I can't get rid of you any other way. But don't come sneaking up behind me again. I don't like it, Mr. Brander." Brander made no reply; he crossed to the medicine chest and found what he needed. Faith had picked up the fallen board, the cards.... She said quietly: "Sit down, Noll. We'll deal that hand over again...." Big Noll sat down, watching Brander sidewise. When Brander was gone, Faith asked: "Why were you startled?" "I don't like that man," Noll said. "He's too thick with Mauger for me. Mauger'll stick a knife in me, some night.... He will, Faith." Faith shook her head. "Don't be foolish, Noll. Mauger's not worth being afraid of." Noll laughed mirthlessly. "I tell you, there's murder in that man," he protested. "And Brander's with him.... I've a mind...." "It's your crib," said Faith, and played a card. "Three." Noll mechanically took up the game; but Faith, watching, saw that his eyes were furtively alert for half an hour thereafter. * * * * * On the twenty-fifth day after the death of Mr. Ham, at about ten o'clock on a warm and lazy morning, the man at the foremast head gave tongue to the long hail of the whale-fisheries.... "Blo-o-o-o-w! Ah-h-h-h-h blo-o-o-o-o-o-w!" The droning cry swept down through the singing rigging, swept the decks of the _Sally_, penetrated into the fo'c's'le, dropped into the cabin and brought Dan'l Tobey and Noll Wing from sleep there to the deck. Faith was already there, sewing in her rocking chair aft by the wheel. When Dan'l reached the deck, he saw her standing with her sewing gathered in her hands, the gold thimble gleaming on her middle finger, watching Brander. Brander was half way up the main rigging, glass leveled to the southward. Noll Wing bellowed to the masthead man: "Where away?..." And the man swept a hand to point. Noll climbed up toward Brander, shouting to Mr. Tobey to bring the _Sally_ around toward where the whale had been sighted. The men from the mastheads and the fo'c's'le and all about the deck jumped to their places at the boats to wait the command to lower. Brander took the glass from his eye as Noll's weight pulled at the rigging below him, and looked down at the captain, and started to speak; then he changed his mind and waited, glass in hand, while Noll scrutinized the far horizon.... Noll saw a black speck there, and focused his glass, and stared.... He watched for a spout, watched for minutes on end. None came.... The black speck seemed to rise a little, sluggishly, with the swell.... He looked up to Brander. "D'you make a spout?" he asked. Brander shook his head. "No, sir."