anderson had left any quantity of wills and any quantity of
widows, and no fellow could make out which was the genuine article. All
the widows brought lawsuits against all the rest, and every will had a
firm of lawyers on the quarter-deck as long as your arm. They tell me it
was one of the biggest turns-to that ever was seen, bar Tichborne; the
Lord Chamberlain himself was floored, and so was the Lord Chancellor,
and all that time the _Dream_ lay rotting up by Glebe Point. Well, it's
done now; they've picked out a widow and a will--tossed up for it, as
like as not--and the _Dream_'s for sale. She'll go cheap; she's had a
long turn-to at rotting."

"What size is she?"

"Well, big enough. We don't want her bigger. A hundred and ninety, going
two hundred," replied the captain. "She's fully big for us three; it
would be all the better if we had another hand, though it's a pity too,
when you can pick up natives for half nothing. Then we must have a cook.
I can fix raw sailor-men, but there's no going to sea with a new-chum
cook. I can lay hands on the man we want for that: a Highway boy, an old
shipmate of mine, of the name of Amalu. Cooks first-rate, and it's
always better to have a native; he ain't fly, you can turn him to as you
please, and he don't know enough to stand out for his rights."

From the moment that Captain Wicks joined in the conversation, Carthew
recovered interest and confidence; the man (whatever he might have done)
was plainly good-natured, and plainly capable; if he thought well of the
enterprise, offered to contribute money, brought experience, and could
thus solve at a word the problem of the trade, Carthew was content to go
ahead. As for Hadden, his cup was full; he and Bostock forgave each
other in champagne; toast followed toast; it was proposed and carried
amid acclamation to change the name of the schooner (when she should be
bought) to the _Currency Lass_; and the "Currency Lass Island Trading
Company" was practically founded before dusk.

Three days later, Carthew stood before the lawyer, still in his jean
suit, received his hundred and fifty pounds, and proceeded rather
timidly to ask for more indulgence.

"I have a chance to get on in the world," he said. "By to-morrow evening
I expect to be part owner of a ship."

"Dangerous property, Mr. Carthew," said the lawyer.

"Not if the partners work her themselves, and stand to go down along
with her," was the reply.

"I conceive it possibl