第75章 IN WHICH THE MINISTER BOARDS THE SAN JOSE(5)

He thought of a great many things and of many people as he stood by the hatchway,waiting;among others,he thought of his housekeeper,Keziah Coffin.And,somehow,the thought of her,of her pluck,and her self-sacrifice,were the very inspirations he needed.It's the duty that's been laid on me,Keziah had said,and it's a hard one,but I don't run away from it.He began to descend the ladder.

The sick man was raving in delirium when he reached him,but the sound of the water lapping the sides of the saucepan brought him to himself.He seized Ellery by the arm and drank and drank.When at last he desisted,the pan was half empty.

The minister laid him gently back in the bunk and stepped to the foot of the ladder for breath.This made him think of the necessity for air in the place and he remembered the little window.

It was tightly closed and rusted fast.He went up to the deck,found a marlin spike,and,returning,broke the glass.A sharp,cold draught swept through the forecastle,stirring the garments hanging on the nails.

An hour later,two dories bumped against the side of the San Jose.

Men,talking in low tones,climbed over the rail.Burgess was one of them;ashamed of his panic,he had returned to assist the others in bringing the brigantine into a safer anchorage by the inlet.

Dr.Parker,very grave but businesslike,reached the deck among the first.

Mr.Ellery,he shouted,where are you?

The minister's head and shoulders appeared at the forecastle companion.Here I am,doctor,he said.Will you come down?The doctor made no answer in words,but he hurried briskly across the deck.One man,Ebenezer Capen,an old fisherman and ex-whaler from East Trumet,started to follow him,but he was the only one.

The others waited,with scared faces,by the rail.

Get her under way and inshore as soon as you can,ordered Dr.

Parker.Ebenezer,you can help.If I need you below,I'll call.The minister backed down the ladder and the doctor followed him.

Parker bent over the bunk for a few moments in silence.

He's pretty bad,he muttered.Mighty little chance.Heavens,what a den!Who broke that window?I did,replied Ellery.The air down here was dreadful.The doctor nodded approvingly.I guess so,he said.It's bad enough now.We've got to get this poor fellow out of here as soon as we can or he'll die before to-morrow.Mr.Ellery,he added sharply,what made you do this?Don't you realize the risk you've run?Some one had to do it.You are running the same risk.Not just the same,and,besides,it's my business.Why didn't you let some one else,some one we could spare--Humph!Confound it,man!didn't you know any better?Weren't you afraid?His tone rasped Ellery's shaken nerves.

Of course I was,he snapped irritably.I'm not an idiot.Humph!Well,all right;I beg your pardon.But you oughtn't to have done it.Now you'll have to be quarantined.And who in thunder I can get to stay with me in this case is more than I know.

Just say smallpox to this town and it goes to pieces like a smashed egg.Old Eb Capen will help,for he's had it,but it needs more than one.Where are you going to take--him?pointing to the moaning occupant of the bunk.

To one of the empty fish shanties on the beach.There are beds there,such as they are,and the place is secluded.We can burn it down when the fuss is over.Then why can't I stay?I shall have to be quarantined,I know that.Let me be the other nurse.Why should anyone else run the risk?I HAVE run it.I'll stay.Dr.Parker looked at him.Well!he exclaimed.Well!I must say,young man,that you've got--Humph!All right,Mr.Ellery;I'm much obliged.