gray goat's beard. He wanted a ditty-box, too; something extra large and
old, and strong, and a tray with a lock-up till in it. He was a fireman
on the _Anne Traylor_, I found; a shifty sort of chap that couldn't look
you in the face. He offered to go to a couple of pounds for the right
thing. I told him I'd look through our stuff and let him know if we had
one of the sort.

"Just as I was closing, a smart young fellow swaggered in. He was second
mate of the _Anne Traylor_, and he'd heard of the death of her old
captain on the _Saucy Jane_, and that we'd bought some of his effects,
and he'd like to have a memento; just a matter of sentiment, he
explained. I asked him what form the sentiment took, and he said a
ditty-box; and if we had the one that belonged to the old man he'd give
two pounds five for it. I put him off like the others.

"Two Swedish sailors came in after the shutters were up, while the door
was still open. They wanted a ditty-box of the identical description. I
told them I'd look for it, same as I told the rest. You always brought
me up not to close too soon with a customer who was keen on a thing."

"Very good, Isaac," I said. "Very good! Go on!"

"In the evening I made inquiries at the 'Duke of Wellington,' where the
dock policemen go, and the two-penny-halfpenny money lenders and such;
and old Mrs. Higgins, the landlady, knows more about the crews that come
here than anyone. Lots of them knew old Markby, it seemed; a very
respectable old chap and a favorite with his men, but a bit of a miser,
and a trifle queer in his ways. He boasted that he didn't believe in
banks and such things, and he'd got his money hidden where even his wife
didn't know. And the conclusion I've come to is that those chaps believe
it's in the ditty-box, and they mean to have it."

"Ah!" I said. "We'll have something to say to that, Isaac! You told them
we hadn't got it, of course."

"Of course," he said; "and of course they didn't believe me! I had a
rare bother with the ginger-haired man yesterday morning, and had to
send the boy for a policeman before he'd go. And in the afternoon the
Swedes tried to sneak through the shop into the warehouse, but I jumped
out of the shop parlor and hustled them off. I've put longer screws in
the bars to the windows; but I'd be easier if you'd let me sleep here."

Isaac always thought that he could look after me better than I could
look after myself!

"I'm all right, Isaac," I said; "