e--"

"Noah," urged McBride. "I wouldn't advise you to take this man Murphy."

"Beggars can't be choosers," Captain Noah replied mournfully. "The tide
serves in half an hour and the tug is alongside the Retriever now. If
I have to wire to Seattle for a second mate I may not be able to get
one--and if I am forced to wire to San Francisco I may be stuck here a
week. I've shipped my crew and paid them all in advance, and if I don't
get to sea in an hour I'll lose every man Jack of them, and have it all
to do over again."

"Well, I'll speak to the fellow for you, Noah," McBride suggested, and
darted out of the cabin to interview the said Murphy. Two minutes later
he was back.

"Sorry, Noah, but Murphy says he wouldn't sign up for a trip to Cape
Town at chief mate's wages."

"I'm sorry, too, Mac," Captain Noah answered resignedly. "I'm sorry
you're such a liar. My grief is only compensated by the knowledge that
Murphy is not aboard the Nokomis at this minute, and, if you did any
talking while you were out on deck a minute ago you must have talked
to yourself. Do I get this man, Murphy and thus save the Blue Star
Navigation Company five hundred dollars or must I wire Cappy Ricks to
wire you to do your duty by the company?"

"You infernal thief," shouted McBride, "you're taking the best second
mate I've had in years."

"Never mind that. Do I get Mike Murphy peaceably or--"

"You've got him already" McBride charged.

"You're better at telling the truth than you are at lying, Angus
McBride. You'll have plenty of time to get a second mate while the
Nokomis is loading, and you can send the bill for his railroad fare to
Cappy Ricks and tell him to charge it to the Retriever."

McBride tried to appear aggrieved, but failed. He burst out laughing,
and reached for the locker in which he kept the schooner's supply of
grog.

"Would it was prussic acid," he growled.

"Don't say I went behind your back and stole your mate," Kendall
retorted. "And if your second mate is as poor as your whiskey," he
added, piling insult on to injury, "you can have him back when I return
from Cape Town."

Matt Peasley felt that he was going to like Michael J. Murphy. The
latter was Irish, but he had left Ireland at a very tender age and was,
to all intents and purposes, a breezy American citizen, and while he
wore a slight cauliflower in one ear, his broad, kindly humorous face
and alert, bustling manner was assurance that he would be an eas