The man on the forecastle-head fell silent, and watched us over his folded arms. 

'Barque ahoy!' yelled Jacob. 

The vessel was now showing her length to us. On Jacob shouting, a man came very quietly to the bulwarks near the mizzen rigging and, with sluggish motions, got upon the rail, where he stood, holding on by a backstay, gazing at us lifelessly. The vessel was so close that I could distinguish every feature of the fellow, and I see him now, as I write, with his fur cap and long coat and half-boots, and beard like oakum. The vessel was manifestly steered by a wheel deep behind the deck-house, and neither helm nor helmsman was visible--no living being, indeed, saving the motionless figure on the forecastle head and the equally lifeless figure holding on by the backstay aft. 

'Barque ahoy!' thundered Abraham. 'Back your tawps'l, will 'ee? Here's a lady and gent as we wants to put aboard ye; they're in distress. They've bin shipwreckt--they wants to git home. Heave to, for Gord's sake, if so be as you're men!' 

Neither figure showed any indications of vitality. 

'What! are they corpses?' cried Abraham. 

'No--they're wuss--they're Jarmans!' answered Jacob, spitting fiercely. 

On a sudden the fellow who was aft nodded at us, then kissed his hand, solemnly dismounted, and vanished, leaving no one in sight but the man forward, who a minute later disappeared also. 

Abraham drew a deep breath, and looked at me. His countenance suddenly changed. His face crimsoned with temper, and with a strange, ungainly, 'longshore plunge he sprang on top of the gunwale, supporting himself by a grip of the burton of the mizzenmast with one hand while he shook his other fist in a very ecstasy of passion at the retreating vessel. 

'Call yourselves men!' he roared. 'I'll have the law along of ye! It'll be me as'll report ye! Don't think as I can't spell. HANSA--Hansa. There it is, wrote big as life on your blooming starn! I'll remember ye! You sausage-eaters! --you scow-bankers--you scaramouches!--you varmint! Call yourselves sailors? Only gi' me a chance of getting alongside!' 

He continued to rage in this fashion, interlarding his language with words which sent Helga to the boat's side, and held her there with averted face; but, all the same, it was impossible to keep one's gravity. Vexed, maddened, 

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