Read "Code" by Frank Richardson Pierce online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
A REVERED TRADITION OF THE SEA MAY BE CONFUSED WITH A SKUTTLE-BUTT RUMOR -- WHEN STORMS BLOW UP OFF THE PACIFIC COAST AND TWO CAPTAINS OF THE OLD SCHOOL COME FACE TO FACE, ONE ON THE BRIDGE OF A COAST GUARD CUTTER AND THE OTHER IN COMMAND OF A RUM RUNNER
A month had passed since the _Crayton_ had first appeared offshore seeking a chance to land her cargo unobserved. It was an interesting and valuable cargo, but there really was no secret regarding the identity -- real stuff, bottled in Scotland. Each bottle bore a label which read: