PASSENGER

They met without any formality. The new passenger was a tall, slightly
stooped man, with long hair falling down to his shoulders. Juarez was
exceedingly anxious to see him, but could make out only a dark form
moving along the deck.

"Come to the cabin, Jeems," called the Captain. "I've got something to
tell ye."

They were soon seated in the Captain's cabin. This was a good-sized
room, panelled in light wood and very neatly kept. There was quite a
broad table of the same wood as the walls and a swivel chair in front of
it. The Captain seated himself in this chair and whirled to talk to the
visitor from the shore.

It was evident that he was not a temporary visitor for scarcely had they
seated themselves in the cabin than the Sea Eagle slowly and gently
turned and they felt the pulsation of her engines as she headed once
more for sea. The man was seated on a sea chest opposite the Captain.

He wore long cowhide boots, with jeans pants thrust into their tops,
flannel shirt of a nondescript color and a corduroy jacket. His hat was
of a battered gray. The face was smooth-shaven, deeply lined and burnt
to a dull brown. The hair which came down to his shoulders had that
peculiar sun-burnt weathered tinge that comes from continual exposure to
the weather. He was not an old man, probably on the sunny side of forty.

"Well, Jeems, what is your news?" inquired the Captain.

"The government boat is in the harbor, that's all." The Captain gave a
low, peculiar whistle.

"When did she show up?" he asked.

"Two days ago, Cap'n," he replied.

"Come from the South?"

"Yes," replied the man. "Put in for coal, I reckon."

"Then put out for us," said the Captain briefly.

"Any 'baccy, Cap'n? Been out two days," remarked Jeems.

"Lift your lanky frame off that chest," replied the Captain, "and I'll
git you some."

The man sprang up with remarkable alacrity, and as he unfolded length
after length of his long figure, it seemed as if his head would touch
the ceiling of the cabin. In fact, he did not miss it by many inches.
It was a comical contrast between the short stooping figure of the
Captain and the tall stranger.

"Waal, Jeems, I wouldn't advise you to grow any more, or I'll have to
raise the roof of my cabin."

"That's what, Cap'n," replied Jeems imperturbably. "That's what happens
when you grow up in Californy. You grow all the year around, and not
like in New England where the winters makes you stub