.

"The owner of that boat won't hire her," declared Berwick. "I bet he
thinks more of her than he does of his wife."

"I don't believe he has one," declared Jim. "Almost as good as the Sea
Eagle, isn't she?"--which was high praise from Jim. "Perhaps we could
hire her. We might take a look at her."

"The Storm King!" he exclaimed, when they came near enough to read the
name on the bow. "Why that is the boat the old captain told us about
when he had the brush with Broome."

"_Brush_ with _Broome_ is good," said Berwick, with a laugh, "but I
thought he said that boat was in the South Seas."

"Must have come in. The captain said Singleton owned her. Maybe he would
like to charter her. We'll try him anyhow. Storm King, ahoy!" hailed Jim
pulling up to the side of the yacht.

"Boat ahoy," answered a sailor on deck.

"Is the captain on board?" asked Jim.

"D'ye mean Captain Wilkins?"

"I guess yes," answered Jim, "I would like to speak to him."

"I admire your nerve, Jim," said Berwick, in an undertone.

"Coming on board, sir?" asked the sailor, making ready to heave a small
line.

"Yes," returned Jim, "heave away."

Catching the line the sailor had thrown, Jim and Berwick climbed the
gangway ladder to the deck where they were met by Captain Wilkins, a
grizzled old seaman, attired in an undress uniform. He was tall, stoutly
built, with an alert air about him that impressed both Jim and Berwick
favorably at the start.

"How do you do, gentlemen?" The captain greeted them with punctilious
politeness, "glad to meet you."

"And we are very glad to meet you, Captain Wilkins," returned Jim. "This
is a fine boat you have."

"Isn't she," returned the captain with enthusiasm. "There was never a
better come out of a shipyard. Look at her lines. Why she sets on the
water like a duck. And roomy, too. She ain't one of the slim waisted
kind where you don't have room to turn around. Why, Lord love you, lads,
ye could be no more comfortable if you put up at the Palace Hotel."

"You're right there, captain," agreed Berwick, "I never saw a prettier
boat. I can see you carry quite an armament."

"Oh, that was for use in the South Seas. She was engaged in trade down
there, and we used to have a brush occasionally with the pirates. Not of
late, however, for they learned to leave her alone."

"Do you own her?" asked Jim.

"Haven't such good luck. Wish I did. No, she belongs to a professor with
a long name, though I'm bless