HOMEWARD BOUND I55 



He stood upon the poop-deck and beamed down at 

 the men who stood expectantly by the smoke-blackened 

 try- works. He knew full well the words they were wait- 

 ing for him to speak. 



'All right men, over the side with that pile of bricks,' he 

 called. 



To the accompaniment of yells of joy the now super- 

 fluous burden of the try-works was thrown brick by brick 



into the sea until only the coppers and the shallow cooling 

 tray remained. 



'You can keep those to float your toy boats in,' called 

 the captain for he had seen some of the men making ship 

 models during the earlier weeks of inactivity. 'And now, 

 Mr. Hodge,' addressing the first mate who had long 

 recovered from his injuries, 'set course for Talcahuano on 



