{"id":"01KG6YHAXC7QTY0R4XJEHC647B","cid":"bafkreigrulycemkhuafroq5zqddfwpvv5acmfxrpjauuerbln2nqe4teee","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":2853,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T07:57:55.409Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 13","source_file":"01KG6YDDF6PTWG4P7JTS5THSTD","start_line":2771,"text":"At these words the Spaniard turned upon the American one of his sudden,\r\nstaring, half-lunatic looks; then, relapsing into his torpor, answered,\r\n“Doubtless, doubtless, Señor.”\r\n\r\nIs it, thought Captain Delano, that this hapless man is one of those\r\npaper captains I’ve known, who by policy wink at what by power they\r\ncannot put down? I know no sadder sight than a commander who has little\r\nof command but the name.\r\n\r\n“I should think, Don Benito,” he now said, glancing towards the\r\noakum-picker who had sought to interfere with the boys, “that you would\r\nfind it advantageous to keep all your blacks employed, especially the\r\nyounger ones, no matter at what useless task, and no matter what\r\nhappens to the ship. Why, even with my little band, I find such a\r\ncourse indispensable. I once kept a crew on my quarter-deck thrumming\r\nmats for my cabin, when, for three days, I had given up my ship—mats,\r\nmen, and all—for a speedy loss, owing to the violence of a gale, in\r\nwhich we could do nothing but helplessly drive before it.”\r\n\r\n“Doubtless, doubtless,” muttered Don Benito.\r\n\r\n“But,” continued Captain Delano, again glancing upon the oakum-pickers\r\nand then at the hatchet-polishers, near by, “I see you keep some, at\r\nleast, of your host employed.”\r\n\r\n“Yes,” was again the vacant response.\r\n\r\n“Those old men there, shaking their pows from their pulpits,” continued\r\nCaptain Delano, pointing to the oakum-pickers, “seem to act the part of\r\nold dominies to the rest, little heeded as their admonitions are at\r\ntimes. Is this voluntary on their part, Don Benito, or have you\r\nappointed them shepherds to your flock of black sheep?”\r\n\r\n“What posts they fill, I appointed them,” rejoined the Spaniard, in an\r\nacrid tone, as if resenting some supposed satiric reflection.\r\n\r\n“And these others, these Ashantee conjurors here,” continued Captain\r\nDelano, rather uneasily eying the brandished steel of the\r\nhatchet-polishers, where, in spots, it had been brought to a shine,\r\n“this seems a curious business they are at, Don Benito?”\r\n\r\n“In the gales we met,” answered the Spaniard, “what of our general\r\ncargo was not thrown overboard was much damaged by the brine. Since\r\ncoming into calm weather, I have had several cases of knives and\r\nhatchets daily brought up for overhauling and cleaning.”\r\n\r\n“A prudent idea, Don Benito. You are part owner of ship and cargo, I\r\npresume; but none of the slaves, perhaps?”\r\n\r\n“I am owner of all you see,” impatiently returned Don Benito, “except\r\nthe main company of blacks, who belonged to my late friend, Alexandro\r\nAranda.”\r\n\r\nAs he mentioned this name, his air was heart-broken; his knees shook;\r\nhis servant supported him.\r\n\r\nThinking he divined the cause of such unusual emotion, to confirm his\r\nsurmise, Captain Delano, after a pause, said: “And may I ask, Don\r\nBenito, whether—since awhile ago you spoke of some cabin passengers—the\r\nfriend, whose loss so afflicts you, at the outset of the voyage\r\naccompanied his blacks?”\r\n\r\n“Yes.”\r\n\r\n“But died of the fever?”\r\n\r\n“Died of the fever. Oh, could I but—”\r\n\r\nAgain quivering, the Spaniard paused.\r\n\r\n“Pardon me,” said Captain Delano, lowly, “but I think that, by a\r\nsympathetic experience, I conjecture, Don Benito, what it is that gives\r\nthe keener edge to your grief. It was once my hard fortune to lose, at\r\nsea, a dear friend, my own brother, then supercargo. Assured of the\r\nwelfare of his spirit, its departure I could have borne like a man; but\r\nthat honest eye, that honest hand—both of which had so often met\r\nmine—and that warm heart; all, all—like scraps to the dogs—to throw all\r\nto the sharks! It was then I vowed never to have for fellow-voyager a\r\nman I loved, unless, unbeknown to him, I had provided every requisite,\r\nin case of a fatality, for embalming his mortal part for interment on\r\nshore. Were your friend’s remains now on board this ship, Don Benito,\r\nnot thus strangely would the mention of his name affect you.”\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 13"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG6YGB7Z3K8B6BYJGR83VQN5","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG6YDDF6PTWG4P7JTS5THSTD","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG6YCG626JN4FCG8QK17CQCF","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG6YHAXAE09CXHKRERXA5CAQ","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG6YHBKD99GQKM0JF2GH6CMV","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T07:57:58.060Z","ts":"2026-01-30T07:58:04.186Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}