hipping
Commissioner, who furnishes a certified copy of the crew list to the
captain and retains a duplicate for his own files.

The Blue Star youth returned presently with his duplicate list, on
consulting which, to his unspeakable amazement, Cappy Ricks discovered
that Matthew Peasley had shipped aboard the Retriever as an able seaman,
and that the first mate was one William Olson--which goes to prove that
in the heat of passion a skipper will often discharge a mate on the eve
of sailing for a foreign port and forget to tell the Deputy Shipping
Commissioner anything about it.

"Remarkable," Cappy declared. "Ree-markable!"

"Dirty work here," Mr. Skinner announced. "Captain dead and a common
A.B. cabling us for authority to draw drafts as captain, while posing as
first mate. Nigger in the woodpile somewhere, Mr. Ricks."

"I'll smoke him out in five minutes, Skinner. Ring up the local
inspectors and inquire if, by any chance, they have ever issued a
captain's license to one Matthew Peasley."

Skinner obeyed. After a brief wait he was informed that the said Peasley
had an unlimited license as first mate of sail, and was entitled to act
as second mate of steam vessels up to five hundred tons net register.

"Nothing doing!" Cappy piped. "Skinner, when a mate with an unlimited
license ships before the mast, THERE'S A REASON!"

"Drunkard!" Mr. Skinner suggested without an instant's hesitation.

"Eggs-actly, Skinner. Good seaman, I daresay, but worthless and
unreliable in an executive capacity, and I can't trust a ripping fine
barkentine like the Retriever with that kind of man. I suppose he feels
the hankering for a spree coming on right now. Skinner, if we gave the
man Peasley permission to draw drafts he'd paint Cape Town red. I feel
it in my bones."

"So do I, sir."

"What vessels have we in port at this moment, Skinner?"

"McBride is discharging the Nokomis at Oakland Long Wharf."

"The ideal man." Cappy smote his desk. "I've been wanting to promote Mac
into a larger vessel and pay him twenty-five dollars a month more for
the past two years. He's too good for a little hooker like the Nokomis,
and he's got a steady-going Norwegian mate that's been with him in the
Nokomis for three years. Time to take care of that mate. Skinner, I have
an idea. See that it is carried through. McBride's mate shall buy out
Mac's interest in the Nokomis. If he hasn't the money, tell him I'll
lend it to him, secured by the insura