"
Mr. Gordon was speaking thus in my praise, when who should walk
into the inn but Carver Kinlay himself.
Carver had on a new suit of clothes of blue cloth, and his high
boots, reaching above the knees, were newly polished with oil. At
his waist he wore a leather belt from which was suspended a long
sheath knife. He walked in with a jaunty air of self importance,
but with a slightly unsteady gait, which showed how he had been
celebrating his appointment. He approached Captain Wemyss, and
addressed him.
"Ye'll be weighing anchor on Monday morning, captain, I suppose?
What time shall I come aboard?"
"I never asked you to come aboard my ship, my man," said Captain
Wemyss. "What is it you want?"
"Why, d'ye not know I'm the pilot?"
Captain Abernethy interrupted him, and drew him round by the
shoulder to face the company, saying:
"You'd not be the pilot if you hadna gotten the post by your
crafty, sneaking, murderous villainy, Carver Kinlay. What business
had you putting out to the Lydia on Sunday?"
"What business is that of yours?" was the response.
"Every one has business in a case like this," said Abernethy, "and
I'll wager a thousand pounds if you hadn't gone out the accident
wouldn't have happened. It was nothing else than the fear that
you'd get aboard before them that made the men think of boarding
the barque in such a hurry, and so far out.
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