e figure beside me.

"And more!" he answered; "and my father built ships hereabouts so
long ago as 1820, and his grandfather before him."

"Back to the times of Nelson and Rodney and Anson," said I, "great
seamen all, who fought great ships! What would they think of this
one, I wonder?"

"That she was a worthy successor," replied the Master Builder,
letting his eyes, so old and wise in ships, wander up and over the
mighty fabric before us. "Yes," he nodded decisively, "she's
worthy--like the men who will fight her one of these days."

"But our enemies and some of our friends rather thought we had
degenerated these latter days," I suggested.

"Ah, well!" said he very quietly, "they know better now, don't you
think?"

"Yes," said I, and again, "Yes."

"Slow starters always," continued he musingly; "but the nation that
can match us in staying power has yet to be born!"

So walking between these two I listened and looked and asked
questions, and of what I heard, and of what I saw I could write much;
but for the censor I might tell of armour-belts of enormous
thickness, of guns of stupendous calibre, of new methods of defence
against sneaking submarine and torpedo attack, and of devices new and
strange; but of these I may neither write nor speak, because of the
aforesaid censor. Suffice it that as the sun sank, we came, all
three, to a jetty whereto a steamboat lay moored, on whose limited
deck were numerous figures, divers of whom beckoned me on.

So with hearty farewells, I stepped aboard the steamboat, whereupon
she snorted and fell suddenly a-quiver as she nosed out into the
broad stream while I stood to wave my hat in farewell.

Side by side they stood, the Captain tall and broad and sailor-like
in his blue and gold--a man of action, bold of eye, hearty of voice,
free of gesture; the other, his silver hair agleam in the setting
sun, a man wise with years, gentle and calm-eyed, my Master Builder.
Thus, as the distance lengthened, I stood watching until presently
they turned, side by side, and so were gone.

Slowly we steamed down the river, a drab, unlovely waterway, but a
wonderful river none the less, whose banks teem with workers where
ships are building--ships by the mile, by the league; ships of all
shapes and of all sizes, ships of all sorts and for many different
purposes. Here are great cargo boats growing hour by hour with
liners great and small; here I saw mile on mile of battleships,
cruisers, d