"A little more rum, George?" said the skipper, whose curiosity was
roused. "I don't want to know your business, far from it. But in my
position as cap'n, if any of my crew gets in a mess I consider it's my
duty to lend them a hand out of it, if I can."

"The world 'ud be a better place if there was more like you," said
George, waxing sentimental as he sniffed delicately at the fragrant
beverage. "If that noosepaper, with them pictures, gets into a certain
party's 'ands, I'm ruined."

"Not if I can help it, George," said the skipper with great firmness.
"How do you mean ruined?"

The seaman set his glass down on the little table, and, leaning over,
formed a word with his lips, and then drew back slowly and watched the
effect.

"What?" said the skipper.

The other repeated the performance, but beyond seeing that some word of
three syllables was indicated the skipper obtained no information.

"You can speak a little louder," he said, somewhat crustily.

"Bigamy!" said George, breathing the word solemnly.

"You?" said the skipper.

George nodded. "And if my first only gets hold of that paper, and sees
my phiz and reads my name, I'm done for. There's my reward for saving a
fellow-critter's life. Seven years."

"I'm surprised at you, George," said the skipper sternly. "Such a good
wife as you've got too."

"I ain't saying nothing agin number two," grumbled George. "It's number
one that didn't suit, I left her eight years ago. She was a bad 'un I
took a v'y'ge to Australia furst, just to put her out o' my mind a bit,
an' I never seed her since. Where am I if she sees all about me in the
paper!"

"Is she what you'd call a vindictive woman?" inquired the other.
"Nasty-tempered, I mean."

"Nasty-tempered," echoed the husband of two. "If that woman could only
have me put in jail she'd stand on 'er 'ead for joy."

"Well, I'll do what I can for you if the worst comes to the worst," said
the skipper. "You'd better not say anything about this to anybody else."

"Not me," said George fervently, as he rose, "an' o' course you------"

"You can rely on me," said the skipper in his most stately fashion.

He thought of the seaman's confidence several times during the
evening, and, being somewhat uncertain of the law as to bigamy, sought
information from the master of the _Endeavour_ as they sat in the
latter's cabin at a quiet game of cribbage. By virtue of several
appearances in the law courts with regard to collis