human
That's luck, indeed, for a craft so early in the season, returned Daggett, when his eyes had done snapping.
gpt
Are the critturs getting to be wild and skeary?
human
Not more so than the day we began upon them. I have taken the greatest care to send none but my most experienced hands out to kill and skin, and their orders have been rigid to give as little alarm as possible. If you wish to fill up, I would advise you to take the same precautions, for the heel of the season is beginning to show itself.
gpt
I will winter here, but I get a full craft, said Daggett, with a resolute manner, if not absolutely serious in what he said.
human
Trouble enough have I had to find the group, and we Vineyard-men don't relish the idee of being outdone.
gpt
You would be done up, my fine fellow, answered Roswell, laughing,
human
I suppose a body might expect to see you back again, another season, observed Daggett, glancing meaningly towards his companion, as if he had seriously revolved so desperate a plan in his mind.
gpt
I may be back or I may not --said Roswell, just then remembering Mary, and wondering if she would continue to keep him any longer in suspense, should he return successful from his present adventure--
human
That will depend on others more than on myself. I wish, however, now we are both here, and there can no longer be any 'hide and go seek' between us, that you would tell me how you came to know anything about this cluster of islands, or of the seals then and there to be found?
gpt
You forget my uncle, who died on Oyster Pond, and whose effects I crossed over to claim?
human
I remember him very well--saw him often while living, and helped to bury him when dead.
gpt
Well, our information came from him. He threw out several hints consarning sealing-grounds aboard the brig in which he came home; and you needn't be told, Gar'ner, that a hint of that kind is sartain to find its way through all the ports down east. But hearing that there was new sealing-ground wasn't knowing where to find it. I should have been at a loss, wasn't it for the spot on my uncle's chart that had been rubbed over lately, as I concluded, to get rid of some of his notes. You know, as well as I do, that the spot was in this very latitude and longitude, and so I came here to look for the much-desired land.
human
And you have undertaken such an outfit, and come this long distance into an icy sea, on information as slight as this!
gpt
On this, with a few hints picked up, here and there, among some of the old gentleman's papers. He was fond of scribbling, and I have got a sort of a chart that he scratched on a leaf of his bible, that was made to represent this very group, as I can now see.
human
Then you could have had no occasion for the printed chart, with the mark of obliteration on it, and did not come here on that authority after all.
gpt
There you 're wrong, Captain Gar'ner. The chart of the group had no latitude or longitude, but just placed each island with its bearings and distances from the other islands. It was no help in finding the place, which might be in one hemisphere as well as in the other.
human
It was, then, the mark of the obliteration--
gpt
interrupted the other, significantly.
human
My uncle talked a good deal aboard of that brig about other matters besides sealing. We think several matters have been obliterated from the old chart, and we intend to look 'em all up. It's our right, you know, seeing that the old man was Vineyard-born, and we are his nearest of kin.
gpt
Certainly --rejoined Roswell, laughing again, but somewhat more faintly than before.
human
Every man for him self in this world is a good maxim; it being pretty certain if we do not take care of ourselves, no one will take care of us.
gpt
Yes, sir, said Stimson, who was standing near;