ten-tonner all by hisself--that is, t'
hull. He had galvanized fastenings for her, such as he never bought
fair in Newfoundland. But o' course he had no gear to fit her out, and
he couldn't get any more than he'd got already off our room. We lads
saw to that, and he knew it, too--and that it weren't safe playing no
games, neither.

"He were away t' following winter, 'furring,' so he told we, but no
fox could ever get fooled by a trap Skipper Bill set. It weren't in
his line, getting round animals. Beyond which he had ne'er a trap. He
'lowed he just set deadfalls--a good name for his work, I'm thinking
now. Anyhow, he came back with enough gear, stolen off French Rooms to
t' south, I reckon, to get his boat afloat by t' time t' owners got
back.

"She were an odd craft, built for a crew of one man only. For Skipper
Bill hadn't much trust in any man 'cept hisself. Once when he were
full o' French brandy he told me that when he were working on t'
cliffs in England, he found out that his mate were going to 'squeal,'
as he called it, about his leaving, so he'd given him such a kick
behind when he weren't expecting it that no one had ever heard from
him since. He meant, we reckoned, that t' poor fellow had fell off t'
bill into t' sea.

"When he built that boat he were thinking already that he might have
to leave sudden, and perhaps a crew wouldn't be willing to, even if he
got one. So he trimmed his teller lanyards to run forrard, so as he
could steer before t' foremast, and handle t' headsheets hisself going
to windward, and at t' same time keep a lookout for ice and slob.

"Many's t' time I've seen him sailing along with ne'er a watch on deck
at all, he being below aft steering by compass from t' locker, with t'
tiller lines leading down the companion hatch.

"I minds one fall that he brought in a big cask o' rum and a lot o'
brandy, which he were going to sell to us folk. But Father wouldn't
stand for that. He said that he'd seen too much of it when he were
young to want any more lying round. We lads found it only fun to go
over and knock t' heads in, and hear what old Portland had to say
about we.

"One day, however, a fellow all dressed in blue came down from St.
John's to take he along, and before Bill knew it t' boat were
alongside his craft and t' man calling he to come ashore. Bill knowed
what he were at once. He'd had experience. 'All right, Officer,' he
said, 'I'll just get my coat and come along,' But when