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Imentionthisbecauseithassomebearingonwhatistofollow.ButwhatIfeltmostwasmybeingastrangertotheship;andifallthetruthmustbetold,Iwassomewhatofastrangertomyself.Theyoungestmanonboard(barringthesecondmate),anduntriedasyetbyapositionofthefullestresponsibility,Iwaswillingtotaketheadequacyoftheothersforgranted.Theyhadsimplytobeequaltotheirtasks;butIwonderedhowfarIshouldturnoutfaithfultothatidealconceptionofone’sownpersonalityeverymansetsupforhimselfsecretly.
Meantimethechiefmate,withanalmostvisibleeffectofcollaborationonthepartofhisroundeyesandfrightfulwhiskers,wastryingtoevolveatheoryoftheanchoredship.Hisdominanttraitwastotakeallthingsintoearnestconsideration.Hewasofapainstakingturnofmind.Asheusedtosay,he“likedtoaccounttohimself”forpracticallyeverythingthatcameinhisway,downtoamiserablescorpionhehadfoundinhiscabinaweekbefore.Thewhyandthewhereforeofthatscorpion—howitgotonboardandcametoselecthisroomratherthanthepantry(whichwasadarkplaceandmorewhatascorpionwouldbepartialto),andhowonearthitmanagedtodrownitselfintheinkwellofhiswritingdesk—hadexercisedhiminfinitely.Theshipwithintheislandswasmuchmoreeasilyaccountedfor;andjustaswewereabouttorisefromtablehemadehispronouncement.Shewas,hedoubtednot,ashipfromhomelatelyarrived.Probablyshedrewtoomuchwatertocrossthebarexceptatthetopofspringtides.
