Alittleafterdarkwebeatoncemoreaboutthepoint，andcreptcautiouslytowardthemouthofthePearlLochs，whereJimandIhadarrangedIwastomeetthesmugglers。Thenightwashappilyobscure，thewatersmooth。Weshowed，accordingtoinstructions，nolightondeck：onlyaredlanterndroppedfromeithercatheadtowithinacoupleoffeetofthewater。Alookoutwasstationedonthebowspritend，anotherinthecrosstrees；
andthewholeship’scompanycrowdedforward，scoutingforenemiesorfriends。Itwasnowthecrucialmomentofourenterprise；wewerenowriskinglibertyandcredit；andthatforasumsosmalltoamaninmybankruptsituation，thatIcouldhavelaughedaloudinbitterness。Butthepiecehadbeenarranged，andwemustplayittothefinish。
Forsomewhile，wesawnothingbutthedarkmountainoutlineoftheisland，thetorchesofnativefishermenglitteringhereandtherealongtheforeshore，andrightinthemidstthatclusterofbravelightswithwhichthetownofHonoluluadvertisesitselftotheseaward。Presentlyaruddystarappearedinshoreofus，andseemedtodrawnearunsteadily。Thiswastheanticipatedsignal；andwemadehastetoshowthecountersign，loweringawhitelightfromthequarter，extinguishingthetwoothers，andlayingtheschoonerincontinentlyto。Thestarapproachedslowly；thesoundsofoarsandofmen’sspeechcametousacrossthewater；andthenavoicehailedus。
“IsthatMr。Dodd？”
“Yes。”Ireturned。“IsJimPinkertonthere？”
“No，sir。”repliedthevoice。“Butthere’soneofhiscrowdhere；
nameofSpeedy。”
“I’mhere，Mr。Dodd。”addedSpeedyhimself。“Ihavelettersforyou。”
“Allright。”Ireplied。“Comeaboard，gentlemen，andletmeseemymail。”
Awhaleboataccordinglyrangedalongside，andthreemenboardedus：myoldSanFranciscofriend，thestock-gamblerSpeedy，alittlewizenedpersonofthenameofSharpe，andabig，flourishing，dissipated-lookingmancalledFowler。Thetwolast(Ilearnedafterward)werefrequentpartners；Sharpesuppliedthecapital，andFowler，whowasquiteacharacterintheislandsandoccupiedaconsiderablestation，broughtactivity，daring，andaprivateinfluence，highlynecessaryinthecase。Bothseemedtoapproachthebusinesswithakeensenseofromance；andIbelievethiswasthechiefattraction，atleastwithFowler——forwhomIearlyconceivedasentimentofliking。
ButinthatfirstmomentIhadsomethingelsetothinkofthantojudgemynewacquaintances；andbeforeSpeedyhadfishedouttheletters，thefullextentofourmisfortunewasrevealed。
“We’veratherbadnewsforyou，Mr。Dodd。”saidFowler。
“Yourfirm’sgoneup。”
“Already！”Iexclaimed。
“Well，itwasthoughtratherawonderPinkertonheldonaslongashedid。”wasthereply。“Thewreckdealwastoobigforyourcredit；youweredoingabigbusiness，nodoubt，butyouweredoingitonpreciouslittlecapital；andwhenthestraincame，youwereboundtogo。Pinkerton’sthroughallright：
sevencentsdividend；someremarksmade，butnothingtohurt；
thepressletyoudowneasy——IguessJimhadrelationsthere。
Theonlytroubleis，thatallthisFlyingScudaffairgotinthepaperswiththerest；everybody’swideawakeinHonolulu，andthesoonerwegetthestuffinandthedollarsout，thebetterforallconcerned。”
“Gentlemen。”saidI，“youmustexcuseme。Myfriend，thecaptainhere，willdrinkaglassofchampagnewithyoutogiveyoupatience；butasformyself，IamunfitevenforordinaryconversationtillIhavereadtheseletters。”
Theydemurredalittle：andindeedthedangerofdelayseemedobvious；butthesightofmydistress，whichIwasunableentirelytocontrol，appealedstronglytotheirgood-nature；andI
wassufferedatlasttogetbymyselfondeck，where，bythelightofalanternsmuggledundershelterofthelowrail，Ireadthefollowingwretchedcorrespondence。
“MydearLoudon。”ranthefirst，“thiswillbehandedyoubyyourfriendSpeedyoftheCatamount。HissterlingcharacterandloyaldevotiontoyourselfpointedhimoutasthebestmanforourpurposesinHonolulu——thepartiesonthespotbeingdifficulttomanipulate。AmancalledBillyFowler(youmusthaveheardofBilly)istheboss；heisinpoliticssome，andsquarestheofficers。Ihavehardtimesbeforemeinthecity，butIfeelasbrightasadollarandasstrongasJohnL。
Sullivan。WhatwithMamiehere，andmypartnerspeedingovertheseas，andthebonanzainthewreck，IfeellikeIcouldjugglewiththePyramidsofEgypt，sameasconjurersdowithaluminiumballs。Myearnestprayersfollowyou，Loudon，thatyoumayfeelthewayIdo——justinspired！Myfeetdon’ttouchtheground；Ikindofswim。MamieislikeMosesandAaronthathelduptheotherindividual’sarms。Shecarriesmealonglikeahorseandbuggy。Iambeatingtherecord。
“Yourtruepartner，“J。PINKERTON。”
Numbertwowasinadifferentstyle：——
“MydearestLoudon，howamItoprepareyouforthisdireintelligence？Odearme，itwillstrikeyoutotheearth。TheFiathasgoneforth；ourfirmwentbustataquarterbeforetwelve。ItwasabillofBradley’s(for$200)thatbroughtthesevastoperationstoaclose，andevolvedliabilitiesofupwardsoftwohundredandfiftythousand。O，theshameandpityofit！
andyoubutthreeweeksgone！Loudon，don’tblameyourpartner：ifhumanhandsandbrainscouldhavesufficed，I
wouldhaveheldthethingtogether。Butitjustslowlycrumbled；Bradleywasthelastkick，buttheblamedbusinessjustMELTED。Igivetheliabilities；it’ssupposedthey’reallin；
forthecowardswerewaiting，andtheclaimswerefiledliketakingticketstohearPatti。Idon’tquitehavethehangoftheassetsyet，ourinterestsweresoextended；butIamatitdayandnight，andIguesswillmakeacreditabledividend。Ifthewreckpansoutonlyhalfthewayitought，we’llturnthelaughstill。Iamasfullofgritandworkasever，andjusttoweraboveourtroubles。Mamieisahostinherself。SomehowIfeellikeitwasonlymethathadgonebust，andyouandshesoaredclearofit。Hurryup。That’sallyouhavetodo。
“Yoursever，“J。PINKERTON。”
Thethirdwasyetmorealtered：——
“MypoorLoudon。”itbegan，“Ilabourfarintothenightgettingouraffairsinorder；youcouldnotbelievetheirvastnessandcomplexity。DouglasB。Longhurstsaidhumorouslythatthereceiver’sworkwouldbecutoutforhim。Icannotdenythatsomeofthemhaveaspeculativelook。Godforbidasensitive，refinedspiritlikeyoursshouldevercomefacetofacewithaCommissionerinBankruptcy；thesemengetallthesweetnessknockedrightoutofthem。ButIcouldbearupbetterifitweren’tforpresscomments。Oftenandoften，Loudon，Irecalltomindyourmostlegitimatecritiquesofthepresssystem。
Theypublishedaninterviewwithme，nottheleastlikewhatI
said，andwithJEERINGcomments；itwouldmakeyourbloodboil，itwasliterallyINHUMANE；Iwouldn’thavewrittenitaboutayellowdogthatwasintroublelikewhatIam。Mamiejustwinced，thefirsttimeshehasturnedahairrightthroughthewholecatastrophe。HowwonderfullytruewaswhatyousaidlongagoinParis，abouttouchingonpeople’spersonalappearance！Thefellowsaid——“Andthenthesewordshadbeenscoredthrough；andmydistressedfriendturnedtoanothersubject。“Icannotbeartodwelluponourassets。Theysimplydon’tshowup。EvenThirteenStar，assoundalineascanbeproduceduponthiscoast，goesbegging。Thewreckhasthrownablightonallweevertouched。Andwhere’stheuse？Godnevermadeawreckbigenoughtofillourdeficit。Iamhauntedbythethoughtthatyoumayblameme；IknowhowIdespisedyourremonstrances。O，Loudon，don’tbehardonyourmiserablepartner。Thefunny-dogbusinessiswhatkills。IfearyoursternrectitudeofmindliketheeyeofGod。Icannotthinkbutwhatsomeofmybooksseemmixedup；otherwise，Idon’tseemtoseemywayasplainasIcouldwishto。Orelsemybrainisgonesoft。Loudon，ifthereshouldbeanyunpleasantness，youcantrustmetodotherightthingandkeepyouclear。I’vebeentellingthemalready，howyouhadnobusinessgripandneversawthebooks。O，ItrustIhavedonerightinthis！Iknewitwasaliberty；Iknowyoumayjustlycomplain；butitwassomethingsthatweresaid。Andmindyou，alllegitimatebusiness！Notevenyourshrinkingsensitivenesscouldfindfaultwiththefirstlookofoneofthem，iftheyhadpannedoutright。Andyouknow，theFlyingScudwasthebiggestgambleofthecrowd，andthatwasyourownidea。Mamiesaysshenevercouldbeartolookyouintheface，ifthatideahadbeenmine，sheisSOconscientious！
“Yourbroken-hearted“JIM。”
Thelastbeganwithoutformality：——
“Thisistheendofmecommercially。Igiveup；mynerveisgone。IsupposeIoughttobeglad；forwe’rethroughthecourt。
Idon’tknowaseverIknewhow，andI’msureIdon’tremember。Ifitpansout——thewreck，Imean——we’llgotoEurope，andliveontheinterestofourmoney。Nomoreworkforme。Ishakewhenpeoplespeaktome。Ihavegoneon，hopingandhoping，andworkingandworking，andtheleadhaspinchedrightout。IwanttolieonmybackinagardenandreadShakespeareandE。P。Roe。Don’tsupposeit’scowardice，Loudon。I’masickman。RestiswhatImusthave。I’veworkedhardallmylife；Ineversparedmyself；everydollarI
evermade，I’vecoinedmybrainsforit。I’veneverdoneameanthing；I’velivedrespectable，andgiventothepoor。WhohasabetterrighttoaholidaythanIhave？AndImeantohaveayearofitstraightout；andifIdon’t，Ishalllierightdownhereinmytracks，anddieofworryandbraintrouble。Don’tmistake。
That’sso。Ifthereareanypickingsatall，TRUSTSPEEDY；
don’tletthecreditorsgetwindofwhatthereis。Ihelpedyouwhenyouweredown；helpmenow。Don’tdeceiveyourself；
you’vegottohelpmerightnow，ornever。Iamclerking，andNOTFITTOCYPHER。Mamie’stypewritingatthePhoenixGuanoExchange，downtown。Thelightisrightoutofmylife。
Iknowyou’llnotliketodowhatIpropose。Thinkonlyofthis；
thatit’slifeordeathfor“JIMPINKERTON。
“P。S。Ourfigurewassevenpercent。O，whatafallwasthere！
Well，well，it’spastmending；Idon’twanttowhine。But，Loudon，Idowanttolive。Nomoreambition；allIaskislife。I
havesomuchtomakeitsweettome！Iamclerking，andUSELESSATTHAT。IknowIwouldhavefiredsuchaclerkinsideoffortyminutes，inMYtime。Butmytime’sover。Icanonlyclingontoyou。Don’tfail“JIMPINKERTON。”
Therewasyetonemorepostscript，yetonemoreoutburstofself-pityandpatheticadjuration；andadoctor’sopinion，unpromisingenough，wasbesidesenclosed。Ipassthembothinsilence。Ithinkshametohaveshown，atsogreatlength，thehalf-bakedvirtuesofmyfrienddissolvinginthecrucibleofsicknessanddistress；andtheeffectuponmyspiritscanbejudgedalready。IgottomyfeetwhenIhaddone，drewadeepbreath，andstaredhardatHonolulu。Onemomenttheworldseemedatanend；thenext，Iwasconsciousofarushofindependentenergy。OnJimIcouldrelynolonger；Imustnowtakeholdmyself。Imustdecideandactonmyownbetterthoughts。
Thewordwaseasytosay；thething，atthefirstblush，wasundiscoverable。Iwasoverwhelmedwithmiserable，womanishpityformybrokenfriend；hisoutcriesgrievedmyspirit；Isawhimthenandnow——then，soinvincible；now，broughtsolow——
andknewneitherhowtorefuse，norhowtoconsenttohisproposal。Theremembranceofmyfather，whohadfalleninthesamefieldunstained，theimageofhismonumentincongruouslyrising，afearofthelaw，achillairthatseemedtoblowuponmyfancyfromthedoorsofprisons，andtheimaginaryclankoffetters，recalledmetoadifferentresolve。
Andthenagain，thewailsofmysickpartnerintervened。SoI
stoodhesitating，andyetwithastrongsenseofcapacitybehind：
sure，ifIcouldbutchoosemypath，thatIshouldwalkinitwithresolution。
ThenIrememberedthatIhadafriendonboard，andsteppedtothecompanion。
“Gentlemen。”saidI，“onlyafewmomentsmore：butthese，I
regrettosay，Imustmakemoretediousstillbyremovingyourcompanion。ItisindispensablethatIshouldhaveawordortwowithCaptainNares。”
Boththesmugglerswereafootatonce，protesting。Thebusiness，theydeclared，mustbedespatchedatonce；theyhadrunriskenough，withaconscience；andtheymusteitherfinishnow，orgo。
