by."

Then the native philosopher seated himself on the chest again and took
long and delightful pulls at his recently staked pipe.

"Hum!" he said. "This tastes right. Did yer ever know what it war to be
starved for yer 'baccy, Cap'n?"

"No," replied the Captain, "I can't say that I ever did."

"Well, I want to tell you, Cap'n, that it is worse than going without
water and I know what that is. Been on a desert till my tongue was as
thick as a cow's, and hung out between my teeth, black."

"How long have you been away?" inquired the Captain.

"Three weeks, Cap'n."

"How are the sheep lookin'?"

"Pretty fair, Cap'n," he replied. "I think that they had a whiff of rain
over there a few days ago."

"It won't be long till we git the rains," suggested the Captain.

"I don't know, Cap'n," remarked the lanky one. "The climate of Californy
is a curious proposition. It's built on the bias down at this end."

"How's that?" asked the Captain curiously. He had a certain interest in
this particular courier's theories, however he might laugh at their
peculiarities. For there was apt to be a basis of reason in them.

"Well, it's this way, Cap'n," said James Howell, to give him his correct
name, thrusting one lanky hand deep into his jeans pocket and bending
forward awkwardly. "It's this way. You see the storms come down from the
North to the Tehatchipei mountains, where there isn't any way for them
to get through to the south. Then the clouds shift around to Arizony,
and if the wind is right they are blown through the passes of the Sierra
Madre into Southern Californy, then we get the rain. That's why I said,
Cap'n, that this dazzling climate is built on the bias."

"Waal, Jeems, as a weather prophet you can't be beat," said the
Skipper.

"In my business I get plenty of time to think, Cap'n," he remarked, "and
as they ain't much to see except climate I think about that."

"Waal, I have a good sight more than that to consider," replied the
Skipper. "I'm thinking right now about that government boat. I'm going
on deck. You can turn in."

The Captain showed him to an empty cabin and the lanky stranger
proceeded to make himself comfortable for the balance of the night,
while the Captain went up on the Bridge.

"Where are you heading this boat to?" he asked gruffly of the man at the
wheel.

Then he took the helm himself and immediately the Sea Eagle's prow
pointed to the Westward as if she were heading directly for Jap