Every Man for Himself

A cold, wind‑swept night drapes Poor Man’s Harbor in darkness, the only light the flicker of a lone lantern on the anchored schooner Good Samaritan. On deck, the crew languishes in a fog of sleep and boredom while the ship’s clerk, Tumm, puffs his tobacco and begins to speak of souls and the devil, his voice cutting through the howling gale. The young deckhand, Billy Ill, hangs on every word, his curiosity ignited by the promise of a tale that feels as old as the sea itself.

Tumm’s story turns to the cursed Jug Cove, a bleak inlet of black rock and relentless storms where, according to local lore, a devil‑tainted fisherman once met his fate. As the wind rattles the rigging and the waves crash against the cliffs, the listeners sense that the night will soon test the superstitions they’ve heard. The atmosphere is thick with anticipation, hinting that the crew’s quiet night may soon become a confrontation with the very legends they whispered about.