it?"

"No, sir," said Freddie.

The Able Seaman fixed his black eye on Freddie in amazement.

"Well, bust my locker if this ain't the--Beggin' your pardon, skipper,
and no offense meant! Called me off from the China Sea, and don't want
me after all! Didn't go fer to do it, not him! And me off in the China
Sea amongst the Boxers, a-v'yaging hither and thither to pick up a cargo
o' boxes to box compasses with! Ye've brought me a fair long journey fer
nothin', skipper!"

[Illustration: "I'm Lemuel Mizzen, A.B., that's me!"]

"I'm very sorry, sir," said Freddie, "I didn't know you had to come when
the Chinaman's tobacco was smoked. Are you the one that brought that
tobacco here?"

"Ay, ay! That's me! Lemuel Mizzen, A.B.! And a fine long trip from the
China Sea, to come to a lad in Amerikee when I hears in my ears the
skipper's call, and all fer nothin' at all, at all! Ain't you got
nothin' to offer in extenuation?"

Freddie did not know what "extenuation" meant, but he could see by the
Sailorman's face that that gentleman was a good deal put out. He
remembered that Mr. Mizzen wanted a chew of tobacco.

"Would a little tobacco make you feel better?" said he.

"Now you've got yer hand on the right rope!" said the Able Seaman, his
face brightening. "I don't smoke. I chew. If you're goin' to offer a bit
of a chew, why then, says I, I don't care if I do."

Freddie took a long plug of chewing tobacco from the shelf behind him.
He knew that Mr. Toby would not mind making a little gift to the
sailorman after his long journey. He put the plug under the cutter on
the counter, and was about to press down the handle, to cut off a
portion, when the Able Seaman hitched up his trousers and said:

"Belay there, skipper! Put the whole cargo aboard! This here craft needs
ballast; hoist her over the side!" And he reached out his hand for the
whole plug of tobacco and took it from Freddie, and gnawed off a corner
with his teeth.

"Ah!" said he, his right cheek bulging out. "Too much ballast to
starboard." And he gnawed off another corner, so that his left cheek
bulged out like his right.

"All snug!" said he. "I'll just pay fer my cargo before I set sail, with
a bit of a draft on the owners, in a manner of speakin'. Here y'are,
sir. Stow that bit o' paper in yer sea-chest, and it'll come in handy
one o' these days. Pay as you go, says I."

He placed in Freddie's hand a folded sheet of soiled paper. It was
greasy with handlin