CHAPTER yill 



Gabriel's little drama 



ON a bright, sunshiny morning a few days 

 later, with a light breeze just ruffling the 

 harbor, the brig with her sails laid back 

 and her head pointed seaward was drifting with 

 the ebb tide perhaps a mile and a quarter off 

 shore between Honolulu and Diamond Head. 

 Captain Winchester had set out for the city in 

 a whale boat. Those of the sailors left aboard 

 were idling forward. Mr. Landers, the mate, 

 sat by the skylight on the poop, reading a maga- 

 zine. Second Mate Gabriel and the cooper were 

 busy at the cooper's bench in the waist. No one 

 else was on deck and I resolved to attempt again 

 to escape. The situation seemed made to order. 



In the warm weather of the tropics, I had 

 often seen old man Landers, when there was 

 nothing doing on deck, sit and read by the hour 



95 



