out,
only turning his head at the last minute to wave a farewell to his
owner's daughter. The mud pilot took charge and brought her clear;
and as soon as he had gone over to his boat, the Captain rang for
full steam ahead and waited for the mate to take the bridge.

The young man came up smiling. "It's a fine morning, father," he
remarked, as he walked over to the binnacle.

"Mister Mate," said the Captain harshly, "you all but lost me that
hawser."

"Just in time, wasn't it?" replied the mate pleasantly.

"I don't reckon to slack off and take in my lines myself," went on
the Captain. "I reckon to leave that to my officers. And if an
officer carries; away a five-inch manila through makin' eyes at girls
on the pier-head, I dock his wages for the cost of it, and I log him
for neglectin' his duty."

The mate looked: at him sharply for a moment; the Captain scowled
back.

"Have you got anything to say to me?" demanded the Captain.

"Yes," said the mate, "I have." He broke into a smile. "But it's
something I can't say while you're actin' the man-o'-war captain on
your bridge. It doesn't concern the work o' the ship."

"What does it concern?" asked the Captain.

"Me," said the mate. He folded his arms across the binnacle and
looked into his father's face confidently. The Captain softened.

"Well, Arthur?" he said.

"That was Minnie on the pier-head," said the mate. The Captain
nodded. "I was up at their place last night," the young man
continued, "and we had a talk--she and I--and so it came about that
we fixed things between us. Mr. Davis is agreeable, so long-----"

"Hey, what's this?" The Captain stared at his son amazedly. "What was
it you fixed up with Minnie?"

"Why, to get married," replied the mate, reddening. "I was telling
you. Her father's willing, as long as we wait till I get a command
before we splice."

"You to marry Minnie!" The mate stiffened at the emphasis on the
"you." The Captain was fighting for expression. "Why," he said, "why
--why, you'ld 'a' carried away that hawser if I hadn't sung out at
ye."

"Father," said the mate. "Mr. Davis'll give me a ship."

"What ship?" demanded the Captain.

"The first he can," replied the other. "He's thinkin' of buyin' the
Stormberg, Wrench Wylie's big freighter, and he'd shift you on to
her. Then I'd have the Burdock."

"Then you'd have the Burdock!" The Captain leaned his elbow on the
engine-room telegraph and faced his son. His expression was