Chapter 1. ON THE LOOK OUT

e,GafferHexamEsquire?’ ‘Sinceyouwasaccusedofrobbingaman.Accusedofrobbingaliveman!’saidGaffer,withgreatindignation. ‘AndwhatifIhadbeenaccusedofrobbingadeadman,Gaffer?’ ‘Youcouldn’tdoit.’ ‘Couldn’tyou,Gaffer?’ ‘No.Hasadeadmananyuseformoney?Isitpossibleforadeadmantohavemoney?Whatworlddoesadeadmanbelongto?‘Totherworld.Whatworlddoesmoneybelongto?Thisworld.Howcanmoneybeacorpse’s?Canacorpseownit,wantit,spendit,claimit,missit?Don’ttrytogoconfoundingtherightsandwrongsofthingsinthatway.Butit’sworthyofthesneakingspiritthatrobsaliveman.’ ‘I’lltellyouwhatitis—.’ ‘Noyouwon’t.I’lltellyouwhatitis.Yougotoffwithashorttimeofitforputtingyourhandinthepocketofasailor,alivesailor.Makethemostofitandthinkyourselflucky,butdon’tthinkafterthattocomeovermewithyourpardners.Wehaveworkedtogetherintimepast,butweworktogethernomoreintimepresentnoryetfuture.Letgo.Castoff!’ ‘Gaffer!Ifyouthinktogetridofmethisway—.’ ‘IfIdon’tgetridofyouthisway,I’lltryanother,andchopyouoverthefingerswiththestretcher,ortakeapickatyourheadwiththeboat-hook.Castoff!Pullyou,Lizzie.Pullhome,sinceyouwon’tletyourfatherpull.’ Lizzieshotahead,andtheotherboatfellastern.Lizzie’sfather,composinghimselfintotheeasyattitudeofonewhohadassertedthehighmoralitiesandtakenanunassailableposition,slowlylightedapipe,andsmoked,andtookasurveyofwhathehadintow.Whathehadintow,lungeditselfathimsometimesinanawfulmannerwhentheboatwaschecked,andsometimesseemedtotrytowrenchitselfaway,thoughforthemostpartitfollowedsubmissively.AneophytemighthavefanciedthattheripplespassingoveritweredreadfullylikefaintchangesofexpressiononasightlessfacebutGafferwasnoneophyteandhadnofancies.