Not a sign of life appeared anywhere upon her.
One of the crew of the lifeboat leaped for the rail and clambered
aboard. Down in the scuppers, in the wash of each wave that climbed
aboard the wreck, he spied a huddled bundle.
"Here's one of 'em, sure 'nough!" he sang out.
Making his way precariously down the slanting deck, he reached in a
minute the spot where the unfortunate lay. The man had washed back and
forth in the sea water so long that he was all but parboiled. The
rescuer seized him by the shoulders and drew him out of this wash.
He was a very bald man with gray hair, a stubble of beard on his
cheeks, and a straggling gray mustache.
"Why, by golly!" yelled the surfman. "This here's Cap'n Abe Silt!"
"Ain't his brother Am'zon there?"
"No, I don't see his brother nowhere."
"Take a good look."
"Trust me to do that," answered the surfman.
But the search was useless. Nobody ever saw Cap'n Amazon again. He
had gone, as he had come--suddenly and in a way to shock the placid
thoughts of Cardhaven people.
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