about when he built a house for Miss Ruth on such a spot; and I was
just about to tell the lad as much when a man came running up the path
and, hailing us in a loud voice, asked us where the devil we were going
to--or something not more civil. And, at this, I brought to and looked
him up and down and answered him as a seaman should.

"To the devil yourself," said I; "what's that to do with you, and what
may your name happen to be?"

He was a big man, dressed in blue serge, with a peak cap and a seaman's
blouse. He had a long brown beard and a pock-marked face, and he
carried a spy-glass under his arm. He had come up from the grassy
valley below--and there I first saw the roof of a low bungalow, and the
gardens about it. That was Ruth's home, I said, and this fellow was one
of Czerny's yacht hands.

"Not so fast, not so fast," cried he; "do you know that this is private
land, and you've no business ashore here?"

"Why," says I, "haven't we come ashore to see you, my beauty, and
doesn't the spectacle reward us? 'Bout ship," says I, "and have done
with it. My business is with your mistress, whom I knew before your
brother was hanged at 'Frisco."

He swore a big oath at this, and, I do believe, was half of the mind to
try which was the better man; but when he had looked down at the
gardens of the bungalow, and a white figure was plainly to be seen
there, he seemed to think better of it, and changed his tone entirely.

"Avast," cries he, with a bit of a laugh, "you're one of the right
sort, and no mistaking that! And where would you be from, and what
would you be wanting here?" he asks, grown civil as a bagman with a bit
of ribbon to sell.

"Shipmate," says I, "if I'm one of the right sort, my port's
Southampton and my flag's the ensign. Take me down to Mme. Czerny, whom
I see among the flower-beds yonder, and you shall know enough about me
in five minutes to bring the tears to your beautiful eyes. And come,"
says I, chaffing him, "are there any girls in this bit of a paradise?
If so," says I, "I should call 'em lucky when I look at you."

Well, he took it sourly enough, but I could see he was mighty curious
to hear more about me, and as we went down a winding path to the
bungalow in the valley he put many questions to me, and I tried to
answer them civilly. Like all seamen he had no silent wits of his own,
and every word he thought, that he must speak.

"The guv'nor's not here," he said; "gone to 'Frisco. Lucky f