But he was a
true and just man.
"I never deserted your father, Cap'n Randall Latham, not even when
his ship sunk under him," the old man declared. "I was saved from
that wreck by chance, not because I tried to be. And I ain't likely
to desert his son."
"How about you, Zebedee?" demanded the captain of the _Seamew_.
"I am not afraid of any foolish talk, anyway, Captain Latham. Had I
been I wouldn't have applied for the berth. I had heard enough about
it. Eunez Pareta, I believe, talked too much to the Portygees, and
that is why you couldn't keep them. But I'm not a Portygee."
"I'll say you're not," agreed Tunis. "But we're left in something of
a fix. This freight for Josh Jones and his father is needed. Some
other stuff consigned to Big Wreck Cove ought to be there by
to-night. And I can't get a man for love or money here to help us
out. I tried while I was uptown."
Zeb showed no hesitation. He shrugged his blue-jerseyed shoulders.
"Don't you cal'late we can beat down there under a reefed mainsail
and jib? It'll take time, but she's the sweetest sailing craft I was
ever in in my life," he said.
"She's certainly all right, 'cept for that pull to sta'bbo'd,"
muttered Horry.
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