Part 11 (1/2)
He turned to Kate.
”These eggs are new-laid--they're--they're not more than twenty-four hours old.”
His glance dared McTee to doubt the statement. The captain accepted the challenge.
”I suppose you watched 'em being laid, Harrigan?”
Harrigan sneered.
”I can tell by the taste partly and partly”--here he cracked the sh.e.l.l of another egg and, stripping it off, held up the little white oval to the light--”and partly by the color. It's dead white, isn't it?”
”Yes.”
”That shows it's fresh. If there was a bit of blue in it, it'd be stale.”
McTee breathed hard.
”You win,” he said. ”You ought to be on the stage, Harrigan.”
But Harrigan was deep in another egg. Kate watched the two with covert glances, amazed, wondering. They had saved each other from death at sea, and now they were quarreling bitterly over the qualities of eggs.
And not eggs alone, for McTee, not to be outdone in courtesy, pa.s.sed a handful of his sh.e.l.lfish to Harrigan. The Irishman regarded the fish and then McTee with cold disgust.
”D'you really think I'm crazy enough to eat one of these?” he queried.
Black McTee was black indeed as he glowered at the big Irishman.
”Open up; let's hear what you got to say about these sh.e.l.lfish,” he demanded.
Harrigan announced laconically: ”Scurvy.”
”What?” This from Kate and McTee at one breath.
”Sure. There ain't any salt in 'em. No salt is as bad as too much salt.
A friend of mine was once in a place where he couldn't get any salt food, an' he ate a lot of these sh.e.l.lfish. What was the result? Scurvy!
He hasn't a tooth in his head today. An' he's only thirty.”
”Why didn't you tell me?” cried Kate indignantly, and she laid a tentative finger against her white teeth, as if expecting to find them loose.
”I didn't want to hurt McTee's feelin's. Besides, maybe a few of them won't hurt you--much!”
McTee suddenly burst into laughter, but there was little mirth in the sound.
”Maybe you know these are the great blue clams that are famous for their salt.”
”Really?” said Kate, greatly relieved.
”Yes,” went on McTee, his eyes wandering slightly. ”This species of clam has an unusual organ by which it extracts some of the salt from the sea water while taking its food. Look here!”
He held up a sh.e.l.l and indicated a blue-green spot on the inside.