will always bring $100. We'll take it on, mate. but we'll keep
our eyes on the rats all the time. I don't want them aboard at
all. Look at their belts. Not three out of the dozen who aren't
carrying those filthy little hatchets. Faugh!" she exclaimed,
with a shudder of disgust. "Such vipers!"

What followed proved that Moran had guessed correctly. A rope was
passed to the "Bertha Millner," the junk put out its sweeps, and
to a wailing, eldrich chanting the schooner was towed out of the
bay.

"I wonder what Charlie and our China boys will think of this?"
said Wilbur, looking shoreward, where the deserters could be seen
gathered together in a silent, observing group.

"We're well shut of them," growled Moran, her thumbs in her belt.
"Only, now we'll never know what was the matter with the schooner
these last few nights. Hah!" she exclaimed under her breath, her
scowl thickening, "sometimes I don't wonder the beasts cut."

The dead whale was lying four miles out of the entrance of
Magdalena Bay, and as the junk and the schooner drew near seemed
like a huge black boat floating bottom up. Over it and upon it
swarmed and clambered thousands of sea-birds, while all around and
below the water was thick with gorging sharks. A dreadful,
strangling decay fouled all the air.

The whale was a sperm-whale, and fully twice the length of the
"Bertha Millner." The work of tricing him up occupied the beach-
combers throughout the entire day. It was out of the question to