most young
men in my position. I had done an amount of harvest work, and thus,
with constantly rowing and engaging in other physical exercises, they
were almost as hard as an ordinary seaman's.

"What have you been brought up to?" he asked.

"Fishing."

"That's a lie. You are neither a fisherman nor a sailor."

I hung my head.

"Yes, you may hang your head, my lad, for you are not what you seem."

Again in a clumsy way I repeated the duties of both, but the captain
would not listen.

"Yes, yes, my young gentleman, you may know about these things as well
as I do, but that don't deceive me. You were never brought up to work,
you weren't; but you are a strong likely chap for all that."

I tried again to assure him that I could do a sailor's work well.

"Now, look here, young man," he said, "I'm an oldish chap, and have
seen a bit of the world, and have learnt to read a little of men and
things, and although you are not what you want to pass off to be I like
your looks. What you mean by being here I don't know; but that's not
my business, and I do want a likely young fellow like you. Answer me
square and fair. Are you seeking to get on this vessel because you've
done anything wrong, are you in fear of anybody or anything, and is
anybody after you now?"

I liked his plain question, and I answered plainly.

"I have done nothing wrong, sir," I said; "I am not afraid of anything
or anybody, and no one is after me now."

He looked at me straight in the eyes, but I met his gaze fearlessly.

"What's your name, my lad?"

"Richard Tretheway."

"That is not your real name?"

"No."

"You are sure you are doing nothing wrong in concealing your true name?
Be perfectly honest."

"I am doing nothing wrong. I am doing what's right."

"I'll take you," he said.

I thanked him.

"Look you," he said, "expect no favours; you must do your work fair and
square like the rest. We go from here to Padstow, then on to Falmouth,
from there to Plymouth, then to London. From there, if you behave
well, I'll take you to France and down the Mediterranean. Do what you
have to do here quickly. It's high tide at six this evening, and then
we shall sail."

"Thank you," I said; "I have nothing to do, but I'll go and get some
dinner and then come straight back."

As I said this I turned to go; but the captain laughed and called me
back.

"Look you, Tretheway," he said, "if I hadn't known you were a greenhorn
to this k