Boon Island - Kenneth Roberts [85]
"Seals have to rest somewhere. If I can catch one of 'em asleep around midnight, we'll have enough to eat for a month. He'll have fat that maybe we can set fire to."
"Where's the rest of that cheese?" Langman asked.
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"Right here with Neal Butler," Captain Dean said. "Those who want it must come out and get it."
He backed out himself, and behind him crawled the remnants of our wretched company, with the exception of Cooky Sipper. Even Graystock and Saver came out, looking like corpses.
The captain took the canvas-wrapped cheese from Neal. "Go for seaweed to eat with it," he told Neal. "I'll cut and pass out the cheese myself."
He gave each of us a little cube of cheese. When he came to Graystock and Saver, he went upwind of them and eyed them contemptuously.
"You didn't eat your cheese yesterday," the captain said. "It's been saved for you, and I'm giving you yesterday's and today's too. You don't deserve either. You've been letting the rest of us work for you, and by rights your rations ought to go to those who've been doing the work."
"We were sick, and couldn't work," Graystock said.
"You're a liar," Captain Dean said. "Cooky Sipper's sick and can't stand up, but you're no sicker than the rest of us. You're scared, that's all! If you weren't, you'd get up and move off to do what has to be done, same as the rest of us. You've got to stay human, not be like helpless babies, or pigs that can be smelled a mile down-wind!" The captain was furious, no doubt about it, but he held himself under control, which isn't easy when dealing with people like Graystock and Saveror Langman.
He gave them their little ration of cheese; then turned back to the rest of us. "Up to now," he told us harshly, "I haven't said anything about Saver and Graystock, but now I know where we arenow I'm able to see the things
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God gives us, so we can help ourselves and help each otherI'm going to say something. Yes, and about anyone who thinks he can do like Saver and Graystock."
"It's your duty as captain," Langman said, "to encourage your men: not to discourage 'em."
Captain Dean rounded on him. "What do you think I am doing? You ought to be called Wrong-end Langman! I want Graystock and Saver to go to work and help save themselves, instead of refusing to work. They're doing nothing but setting the rest of us an example in discouragement and despair. Nobody ever accomplished anything in this world without working day and night; but most people are such damned fools that they don't want to work at all, not at anything, just like Saver and Graystock. Give 'em a free hand and they won't even work to save their lives! You know the most discouraging thing in the world, Langman? It's for a lot of hardworking people to have to look at and listen to those who'd like to keep on living without doing anything at all."
I suppose," Langman said, "I was Wrong-end Langman when I said you wanted to run us ashore."
Captain Dean looked at him long and hard. "Mr. Langman," he said, "don't forget that you were No-lookout Langman before we struck. Just what is it that you'd do, right now, if you had the say?"
"I'd build a boat," Langman said promptly.
"With nothing but a hammer, a cutlass, a caulking mallet and our pocket knives?" Captain Dean asked.
Langman glowered at him.
"I'll tell you exactly what we must do first of all," Captain Dean said. "We have to locate the highest point on this rock able to hold a mast that won't blow down. A
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mast that people on shore may be able to see if they ever come to the water's edge to look for driftwood or seaweed, or if they ever put out for fish or lobsters. Then we have to build a tent around it.
"Even before we do that we need oakum to lie on: oakum to