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〃No changee for changee；〃 Ah Moy answered。 〃You wanchee him； all right； can do。〃
〃How fashion can do？〃 Kwaque demanded； who to his beche…de…mer English was already adding pidgin English。 〃Suppose 'm me fella no got 'm what 'you fella likee？〃
〃No fashion changee；〃 Ah Moy reiterated。 〃You wanchee； you likee he stop along you fella all right； my word。〃
And so did pass the brave bit of feathered life with the heart of pluck； called of men； and of himself； 〃Cocky；〃 who had been birthed in the jungle roof of the island of Santo； in the New Hebrides； who had been netted by a two…legged black man…eater and sold for six sticks of tobacco and a shingle hatchet to a Scotch trader dying of malaria； and in turn had been traded from hand to hand； for four shillings to a blackbirder； for a turtle…shell comb made by an English coal…passer after an old Spanish design； for the appraised value of six shillings and sixpence in a poker game in the firemen's forecastle； for a secondhand accordion worth at least twenty shillings； and on for eighteen shillings cash to a little old withered Chinamanso did pass Cocky； as mortal or as immortal as any brave sparkle of life on the planet； from the possession of one； Ah Moy； a sea…cock who； forty years before； had slain his young wife in Macao for cause and fled away to sea； to Kwaque； a leprous Black Papuan who was slave to one； Dag Daughtry； himself a servant of other men to whom he humbly admitted 〃Yes； sir；〃 and 〃No； sir；〃 and 〃Thank you； sir。〃
One other comrade Michael found； although Cocky was no party to the friendship。 This was Scraps； the awkward young Newfoundland puppy； who was the property of no one； unless of the schooner Mary Turner herself； for no man； fore or aft； claimed ownership； while every man disclaimed having brought him on board。 So he was called Scraps； and； since he was nobody's dog； was everybody's dogso much so； that Mr。 Jackson promised to knock Ah Moy's block off if he did not feed the puppy well； while Sigurd Halvorsen； in the forecastle； did his best to knock off Henrik Gjertsen's block when the latter was guilty of kicking Scraps out of his way。 Yea； even more。 When Simon Nishikanta； huge and gross as in the flesh he was and for ever painting delicate； insipid； feministic water… colours； when he threw his deck…chair at Scraps for clumsily knocking over his easel； he found the ham…like hand of Grimshaw so instant and heavy on his shoulder as to whirl him half about； almost fling him to the deck； and leave him lame…muscled and black…and…blued for days。
Michael； full grown； mature； was so merry…hearted an individual that he found all delight in interminable romps with Scraps。 So strong was the play…instinct in him； as well as was his constitution strong； that he continually outplayed Scraps to abject weariness； so that he could only lie on the deck and pant and laugh through air…draughty lips and dab futilely in the air with weak forepaws at Michael's continued ferocious…acted onslaughts。 And this； despite the fact that Scraps out…bullied him and out…scaled him at least three times； and was as careless and unwitting of the weight of his legs or shoulders as a baby elephant on a lawn of daisies。 Given his breath back again； Scraps was as ripe as ever for another frolic； and Michael was just as ripe to meet him。 All of which was splendid training for Michael； keeping him in the tiptop of physical condition and mental wholesomeness。
CHAPTER XII
So sailed the Ship of FoolsMichael playing with Scraps； respecting Cocky and by Cocky being bullied and wheedled； singing with Steward and worshipping him； Daughtry drinking his six quarts of beer each day； collecting his wages the first of each month； and admiring Charles Stough Greenleaf as the finest man on board； Kwaque serving and loving his master and thickening and darkening and creasing his brow with the growing leprous infiltration； Ah Moy avoiding the Black Papuan as the very plague； washing himself continuously and boiling his blankets once a week； Captain Doane doing the navigating and worrying about his flat…building in San Francisco； Grimshaw resting his ham…hands on his colossal knees and girding at the pawnbroker to contribute as much to the adventure as he was contributing from his wheat…ranches； Simon Nishikanta wiping his sweaty neck with the greasy silk handkerchief and painting endless water…colours； the mate patiently stealing the ship's latitude and longitude with his duplicate key； and the Ancient Mariner； solacing himself with Scotch highballs； smoking fragrant three…for…a…dollar Havanas that were charged to the adventure； and for ever maundering about the hell of the longboat； the cross…bearings unnamable； and the treasure a fathom under the sand。
Came a stretch of ocean that to Daughtry was like all other stretches of ocean and unidentifiable from them。 No land broke the sea…rim。 The ship the centre； the horizon was the invariable and eternal circle of the world。 The magnetic needle in the binnacle was the point on which the Mary Turner ever pivoted。 The sun rose in the undoubted east and set in the undoubted west； corrected and proved； of course； by declination； deviation； and variation； and the nightly march of the stars and constellations proceeded across the sky。
And in this stretch of ocean； lookouts were mastheaded at day…dawn and kept mastheaded until twilight of evening； when the Mary Turner was hove…to； to hold her position through the night。 As time went by； and the scent； according to the Ancient Mariner； grow hotter； all three of the investors in the adventure came to going aloft。 Grimshaw contented himself with standing on the main cross…trees。 Captain Doane climbed even higher； seating himself on the stump of the foremast with legs a…straddle of the butt of the foretopmast。 And Simon Nishikanta tore himself away from his everlasting painting of all colour…delicacies of sea and sky such as are painted by seminary maidens； to be helped and hoisted up the ratlines of the mizzen rigging； the huge bulk of him； by two grinning； slim…waisted sailors； until they lashed him squarely on the crosstrees and left him to stare with eyes of golden desire； across the sun…washed sea through the finest pair of unredeemed binoculars that had ever been pledged in his pawnshops。
〃Strange；〃 the Ancient Mariner would mutter； 〃strange； and most strange。 This is the very place。 There can be no mistake。 I'd have trusted that youngster of a third officer anywhere。 He was only eighteen； but he could navigate better than the captain。 Didn't he fetch the atoll after eighteen days in the longboat？ No standard compasses； and you know what a small…boat horizon is； with a big sea； for a sextant。 He died； but the dying course he gave me held good； so that I fetched the atoll the very next day after I hove his body overboard。〃
Captain Doane would shrug his shoulders and defiantly meet the mistrustful eyes of the Armenian Jew。
〃It cannot have sunk； surely；〃 the Ancient Mariner would tactfully carry across the forbidding pause。 〃The island was no mere shoal or reef。 The Lion's Head was thirty…eight hundred and thirty…five feet。 I saw the captain and the third officer triangulate it。〃
〃I've raked and combed the sea；〃 Captain Doane would then break out； 〃and the teeth of my comb are not so wide apart as to let slip through a four…thousand…foot peak。〃
〃Strange； strange；〃 the Ancient Mariner would next mutter； half to his cogitating soul； half aloud to the treasure…seekers。 Then； with a sudden brightening； he would add：
〃But； of course； the variation has changed； Captain Doane。 Have you allowed for the change in variation for half a century！ That should make a grave difference。 Why； as I understand it； who am no navigator； the variation was not so definitely and accurately known in those days as now。〃
〃Latitude was latitude； and longitude was longitude；〃 would be the captain's retort。 〃Variation and deviation are used in setting courses and estimating dead reckoning。〃
All of which was Greek to Simon Nishikanta； who would promptly take the Ancient Mariner's side of the discussion。
But the Ancient Mariner was fair…minded。 What advantage he gave the Jew o