. It was
interesting to the student of human nature, and he regarded his visitor
with an air of compassionate interest. Then Captain Thomsett resumed his
seat, and, to preserve his own fair fame, betrayed that of George.

"I knew it was either you, or somebody your kind 'art was interested
in," said the discomfited Stubbs, as they resumed the interrupted game.
"You can't help your face, cap'n. When you was thinking about that pore
chap's danger it was working with emotion. It misled me, I own it, but
it ain't often I meet such a feeling 'art as yours."

Captain Thomsett, his eyes glowing affection-ately, gripped his friend's
hand, and in the course of the game listened to an exposition of the law
relating to bigamy of a most masterly and complicated nature, seasoned
with anecdotes calculated to make the hardiest of men pause on the brink
of matrimony and think seriously of their position.

"Suppose this woman comes aboard after pore George," said Thomsett.
"What's the best thing to be done?"

"The first thing," said Captain Stubbs, "is to gain time. Put her off."

"Off the ship, d'ye mean?" inquired the other.

"No, no," said the jurist. "Pretend he's ill and can't see anybody. By
gum, I've got it."

He slapped the table with his open hand, and regarded the other
triumphantly.

"Let him turn into his bunk and pretend to be dead," he continued, in a
voice trembling with pride at his strategy. "It's pretty dark down your
fo'c'sle, I know. Don't have no light down there, and tell him to keep
quiet."

Captain Thomsett's eyes shone, but with a qualified admiration.

"Ain't it somewhat sudden?" he demurred.

Captain Stubbs regarded him with a look of supreme artfulness, and
slowly closed one eye.

"He got a chill going in the water," he said quietly.

"Well, you're a masterpiece," said Thomsett ungrudgingly. "I will say
this of you, you're a masterpiece. Mind this is all to be kept quite
secret."

"Make your mind easy," said the eminent jurist.

"If I told all I know there's a good many men in this river as 'ud be
doing time at the present moment."

Captain Thomsett expressed his pleasure at this information, and, having
tried in vain to obtain a few of their names, even going so far as to
suggest some, looked at the clock, and, shaking hands, departed to his
own ship. Captain Stubbs, left to himself, finished his pipe and retired
to rest; and his mate, who had been lying in the adjoining bunk during
the