America was filled with
people discussing and envying his father's dollars.

"Mebbe I do, an' mebbe I don't. Take a reef in your stummick, young
feller. It's full o' my vittles."

Harvey heard a chuckle from Dan, who was pretending to be busy by the
stump-foremast, and blood rushed to his face. "We'll pay for that too,"
he said. "When do you suppose we shall get to New York?"

"I don't use Noo York any. Ner Boston. We may see Eastern Point about
September; an' your pa--I'm real sorry I hain't heerd tell of him--may
give me ten dollars efter all your talk. Then o' course he mayn't."

"Ten dollars! Why, see here, I--" Harvey dived into his pocket for the
wad of bills. All he brought up was a soggy packet of cigarettes.

"Not lawful currency; an' bad for the lungs. Heave 'em overboard, young
feller, and try agin."

"It's been stolen!" cried Harvey, hotly.

"You'll hev to wait till you see your pa to reward me, then?"

"A hundred and thirty-four dollars--all stolen," said Harvey, hunting
wildly through his pockets. "Give them back."

A curious change flitted across old Troop's hard face. "What might you
have been doin' at your time o' life with one hundred an' thirty-four
dollars, young feller?"

"It was part of my pocket-money--for a month." This Harvey thought
would be a knock-down blow, and it was--indirectly.

"Oh! One hundred and thirty-four dollars is only part of his
pocket-money--for one month only! You don't remember hittin' anything
when you fell over, do you? Crack agin a stanchion, le's say. Old man
Hasken o' the East Wind"--Troop seemed to be talking to himself--"he
tripped on a hatch an' butted the mainmast with his head--hardish.
'Baout three weeks afterwards, old man Hasken he would hev it that the
"East Wind" was a commerce-destroyin' man-o'-war, an' so he declared
war on Sable Island because it was Bridish, an' the shoals run aout too
far. They sewed him up in a bed-bag, his head an' feet appearin', fer
the rest o' the trip, an' now he's to home in Essex playin' with little
rag dolls."

Harvey choked with rage, but Troop went on consolingly: "We're sorry
fer you. We're very sorry fer you--an' so young. We won't say no more
abaout the money, I guess."

"'Course you won't. You stole it."

"Suit yourself. We stole it ef it's any comfort to you. Naow, abaout
goin' back. Allowin' we could do it, which we can't, you ain't in no
fit state to go back to your home, an' we've jest come on to the B