I see they have had sense enough to
dry, and a few things I have on hand will make that all right."

"But, how much? how much?" inquired the man, anxiously.

"Why, nothing; I shall go for the fun of it, or not at all."

"That's the idea," answered the seaman, rubbing his hands--which still
trembled with weakness--in sudden delight, "a real gentleman and no
mistake, but bear a hand at once. It won't do for the commodore to find
you in this rig."

"Aye, aye," answered North, sailor fashion, and in a voice that seemed
hoarse from years of sea service.

The man started up on the settee, aroused to dangerous enthusiasm by
astonishment.

"That's the time o' day," he cried in high glee.

North snatched up the seaman's clothes, and retired with them into a
little room back of the bar. He had got over the first shock of
nervousness regarding the dead body lying upstairs, but still shrunk
from looking on it again with shuddering terror. The remembrance of his
crime did not prevent the contemplation of another equally atrocious,
but he did not care to look on that sight again. After a little he came
out from the room, so completely changed that the sick man stared wildly
at him, and called out,

"Where away, messmate; are you one of the fellows we saved from the
wreck?"

North laughed, settled himself in his loose clothes sailor fashion, and
walked with wide steps across the floor, as if it had been a
quarter-deck. A dawning conviction of the truth seized upon the man. He
fell back upon the settee, uttering broken ejaculations of delight
intermingled with groans.

"That'll do. It's all right. He'll take you for one of the chaps we
saved from the wreck, and ask no questions," he panted out.

"It's going to be a roughish night," said North. "I hope your Mr. Mellen
can swim, if we happen to get into any trouble."

"No, no, don't depend on that, but he knows the coast, and is as brave
as a lion; still I shouldn't like him to be brought into danger,
remember that."

"It's not at all likely that he'll be on board," answered North,
carelessly.

"Hush up," cried the seaman, "don't you hear the commodore coming?
They've just told him about this confounded foot. Hear him swear."

The pilot came in while his assistant was speaking.

"What the thunder is all this about? just when I wanted you most, too,
and a rough night. They'll get ahead of us, and all through this
confounded wrecking business. Couldn't you keep out of