220 FOLLOW THE WHALE 



had never known nor understood, but for which he had always sub- 

 consciously yearned. He turned slowly to face the man, for almost 

 the first time in his life pulling back his shoulders not to brace them 

 against a whip but to steady his soul in the face of something new and 

 strange. 



"Forgive me, sir," was all he said. 



Sean McNamara retrieved his pipe from the grass and then con- 

 templated the lad from a distance. 



"Have you papers?" he asked. But without waiting for an answer, 

 he hurriedly continued, "Not that any are needed here. We are free 

 folk in Launceston, for what it may be worth, and while we abide by 

 the governor's law, we have need of strong lads. Did you come by 

 the sloop or by land?" he added. 



"By the sloop, sir," CoHn replied simply. 



Captain McNamara gulped visibly. He regarded the river and his 

 eyes came to rest meditatively upon the small buoy to which the 

 government sloop had been moored until a few hours before. He 

 blinked and shook his head. 



"And how, the Saints be praised, did ye come to be let ashore, may 

 I ask?" 



Colin Collins's eyes fell; then he looked up and stared the captain 

 in the eye. 



"Six harpoons and a noggin of the supercargo's rum to the harbor 

 master," he replied. "Then I swam," he added. 



The captain burst out laughing. "So, Will Jackson is learning a bit 

 of good sense at last!" he chuckled. "Maybe I'll get me a crew yet, 

 though I warrant he'll cleave to them harpoon heads. Tell me, were 

 they good irons or jail-made?" 



"I made them myself," answered Colin, "and they were the very 

 finest irons, hard-barbed, the Spanish way. I am a smith by trade, 

 sir." 



"The devil ye be," Captain McNamara snorted. "I suppose that 

 thieving, so-called harbor master, Jackson, thought to grab you for 

 his forge on some official book-writing. Now you listen to me, me 

 lad. Just show that forearm once in the town and you'll be right 

 back aboard the first government ship that clears this port. Tell me,'* 

 he added quickly, "be you indentured or runaway?" 



