I wouldn't care to be threshing around outside, now,
as poor old Turner was such a short while ago.'
"I could have struck him across the mouth for his callousness.
"Lee Fu's voice fell like oil on a breaking sea. 'All signs point to
another severe typhoon. It happened, Captain, that we were discussing
the loss of the "Speedwell" when you came in.'
"'Too bad--too bad,' said Wilbur slowly, with a shake of the head. 'You
were away, Nichols, weren't you? It was a bad week here, I can tell you,
after the news came in. I shall never forget it. Well, we take our
chances.'
"'Some of us do, and some of us don't,' I snapped.
"'That's just the way I feel about it,' he said simply. 'It came home
hard to me.' My jaw fairly dropped as I listened. Was it possible that
he liked to talk about the affair?
"'We were wondering,' observed Lee Fu, 'why it was that the "Speedwell"
did not remain afloat. What is your opinion, Captain Wilbur?'
"'It isn't a matter of opinion,' Wilbur answered. 'Haven't I seen you
since the inspection? Why, the starboard bow port is stove in. I've
always been afraid of those big bow ports. When I heard the peculiar
circumstances, I knew in my heart what had happened.'
"'Did you?' inquired Lee Fu, with a slight hardening of the voice.
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