"We could save none of them."
"You might very well have done so if you'd been more prompt," said
Captain Gordon. "I saw two of the poor men above water when you
turned to come back."
"Why did ye not send out a boat yerself, then?" said Kinlay.
"Because I have none, except the lifeboat there. We lost the others
in the storm. But it was little use my thinking of launching a
heavy lifeboat when you were afloat there at hand."
"Well, well, it couldn't be helped," said Kinlay. "It was their own
fault they were capsized, and there's no use talking. Put your helm
to starboard, skipper, and let's get you into port."
"Is this man a pilot, Ericson?" asked Captain Gordon, turning to
me.
"No," I said; "I believe he has not yet taken out his license. He
started piloting two days since in opposition to my father."
Kinlay scowled almost savagely at me for saying this. But I knew
very well that he was not a fully qualified pilot, whatever he
might become, now that my father was drowned. He lost much of his
swaggering manner, however, and was very quiet when Captain Gordon
ordered him off the ship.
"Since that is so, then," said the captain, "you may leave this
ship, and young Ericson will take us into the harbour. The lad may
have no more claim to pilot us than yourself, but I doubt not he is
quite as capable.
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