"That may
well be, sor," he said in solemn deference, "but w'ether there is or
isn't such a thing, sor, it's 'orrible to see, either way."
From the banding of the men against him, Madden became aware that they
had decided on the real cause of the mystery behind his back, and he
would have hard work to argue them out of the sea serpent idea.
"You boys saw a shark or porpoise swimming away from that schooner," he
began patiently. "I saw it myself. You recall, on that night anything
that moved in the water burned like fire. The ship was brilliant, the
oars of the dinghy shone. The thing you saw had nothing to do with the
schooner."
"Then w'ot sunk 'er, sor?"
"Aye, an' w'ot come of 'er men, sor?"
"Aye, an w'ot come of th' _Vulcan's_ crew?"
"Could a sea serpent put out a sea anchor?" retorted Leonard.
The men stared doggedly at their chief. "We don't know, sor."
"You do know that it is impossible!"
"If there ain't no such thing, sor, 'ow do we know w'ot it can do?"
questioned Gaskin.
"Then do you want to go back and stay on the dock and starve?" cried
Madden at the end of his patience.
There was a silence at the anger in his tone, then Gaskin began very
placatingly, "Hi'm not wishin' to chafe ye, sor, but th' dock is so big
th' lads 'ave decided the sorpint is afraid o' th' dock.
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