o do with
such men. He wished that he had handed both boat and cargo over to the
deputy collector of the port. Perhaps it was not too late to do so now.

The wind was north-west, and the skipper had to beat up the harbor. As
the yacht approached the wharf near the fish market, Captain Chinks came
on deck. He seated himself on the trunk of the cabin, and seemed to be
very much disturbed. Occasionally he cast a glance at Bobtail, as though
he wanted to say something more to him. The bow of the boat was run up
to the wharf, and Monkey was directed to "catch a turn" with the warp
line on a post, which he did, and the skipper waited for his dangerous
passenger to disembark.

"Well, Bobtail, have you thought over what I said to you?" said Captain
Chinks, as he rose from his seat.

"I have thought it over, but--"

"This is a fine boat, and if you will only give up the cargo, you will
own her, for nobody will ever claim her," interrupted the passenger.

"I haven't said there was any cargo in her," added Bobtail. "You seem to
know all about it. If you claim--"

"I don't claim anything," protested the captain, zealously.

"Then it's no use to say anything more about her. I'm not going to get
myself into any scrape, and I won't make any trade of any kind."

"You are making a mistake, Bobtail. In my opinion, there's something
about this business that don't appear on the face of it."

"That's just my idea."

"I don't know but you can make folks believe that you picked up this
boat, but I don't think you can," added the captain, with his teeth set,
and with difficulty keeping down his anger.

"It don't make any difference to me whether they believe it or not,"
replied Bobtail. "That's the truth."

"You'll find it will make a difference to you," said the captain, as he
stepped upon the wharf.

"Didn't you go back to Squire Gilfilian's office, after you left the
letter there?"

"No, I didn't."

"I'm not sure of that," replied Captain Chinks, shaking his head in a
threatening manner. "You overtook me down by the lime-kiln; so you got
behind me somehow or other."

Captain Chinks went off muttering and shaking his head, and Bobtail
could not imagine what he meant. So far as the lost letter was
concerned, he felt that he had done his whole duty, and he was not
disposed to worry about it; he wished his record in regard to the boxes
was as clean.

"Cast off, Monkey," said he; and putting the Skylark about, he ran down