Ile (Keeney)
Keeney says
That’s my business, Mr. Slocum. I’ll thank you to steer a clear course o’ that. The ice’ll break up soon to no’th’rd. I could see it startin’ to-day. And when it goes and we git some sun, Annie’ll perk up. It ain’t the damned money what’s keepin’ me up in the Northern seas, Tom. But I can’t go back to Homeport with a measly four hundred barrel of ile. I’d die fust. I ain’t never come back home in all my days without a full ship. Ain’t that truth? And d’ you s’pose any of ’em would believe that–any o’ them skippers I’ve beaten voyage after voyage? Can’t you hear ’em laughin’ and sneerin’–Tibbots ‘n’ Harris ‘n’ Simms and the rest–and all o’ Homeport makin’ fun o’ me? “Dave Keeney what boasts he’s the best whalin’ skipper out o’ Homeport comin’ back with a measly four hundred barrel of ile?” Hell! I got to git the ile, I tell you. How could I figger on this ice? It’s never been so bad before in the thirty year I been a-comin’ here. And now it’s breakin’up. In a couple o’days it’ll be all gone. And they’s whale here, plenty of ’em. I know they is and I ain’t never gone wrong yit. I got to git the ile! I got to git it in spite of all hell, and God, I ain’t a-goin’ home till I do git it!