that despair of perfection which made Captain Rannie so uncomfortable a
neighbour. In his own view Plouff was an ideal bosun who was continually
retrieving his employers from disaster, but he attributed this to the
fortunate fact that "he had his eyes about him at the time" rather than
to the hopeless incompetence of the rest of the world. And it was
characteristic of the captain that he should regard Plouff with intense
dislike. Plouff therefore had avoided him adroitly and sought comfort
from the mate. Spiteri was not able to appreciate the bosun. When Plouff
explained how he had found several bolts of canvas secreted in the chain
locker, Spiteri was not impressed because he had put them there himself,
intending later to take them ashore and sell them. Also Plouff was
eternally wanting to chip something, which did not suit Spiteri at all.
If you once began chipping the rust and scale on the _Kalkis_, you might
carry something away and what good would that do you? And Plouff, in his
big apron, would be told to go to Halifax, which infuriated him, for he
thought Halifax, Nova Scotia, was meant, and he had some mysterious feud
with Nova-Scotiamen generally.

So Mr. Spokesly found him congenial, a garrulous monster of
unintelligent probity, and it occurred to him suddenly to enlist the
bosun in this enterprise. Apparently he was going ashore. Mr. Spokesly
wondered how he was going to manage it. He blew his whistle, and the
bosun, who had his head in the galley door talking to the watchman,
withdrew it and called out:

"What's the matter?"

"Come here, Bos', I want you."

Plouff knew by the sound of the word "Bos'" that a friendly conversation
was contemplated and he went aft stroking his pomatumed moustache and
licking his chops in anticipation, for he loved to talk to his
superiors.

"How are you going ashore?"

"Me?" said the bosun, amazed. "In a boat, of course. How'd you think I
was goin'? In a flyin' machine?"

"Well, where's the boat?"

"Why, down there. Here's the painter," said Plouff, laying his hand on
it, very much bewildered.

"But I thought they didn't let you use the ship's boats after sundown."

"Yes, they got all them rules, but there's always easy ways," said
Plouff with gentle scorn.

"Where do you land?"

"Why, right here," and Plouff pointed to where Mr. Spokesly had been
looking with the telescope.

"Is that so? But I've seen no jetty."

"No, there's no jetty. It runs alongside of