He said he would
rather put a pistol to his head and knock his brains
out."
"Ay, ay!" said Wicks. "Well I remember a boat's crew
that made this very island of Kauai, and from just
about where we lie, or a bit further. When they got up
with the land they were clean crazy. There was an
iron-bound coast and an Old Bob Ridley of a surf on.
The natives hailed 'em from fishing-boats, and sung out
it couldn't be done at the money. Much they cared!
there was the land, that was all they knew; and they
turned to and drove the boat slap ashore in the thick
of it, and was all drowned but one. No; boat trips are
my eye," concluded the captain gloomily.
The tone was surprising in a man of his indomitable
temper. "Come, captain," said Carthew, "you have
something else up your sleeve; out with it!"
"It's a fact," admitted Wicks. "You see there's a raft
of little bally reefs about here, kind of chicken-pox
on the chart. Well, I looked 'em all up, and there's
one--Midway or Brooks they call it, not forty mile from
our assigned position--that I got news of.
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