g
into the palm of his left hand, rolled it between his palms, and filled
the pipe. Then, with some deliberation, he selected a long, slender
sliver from the wood box, ignited it at the stove, lighted his pipe and
carefully extinguished the burning sliver.

"This _is_ a fix, now! Well, now, '_tis_ a fix!" Skipper Zeb sat down
upon a bench by Charley's side, and for a minute or two puffed his pipe
in silence, sending up a cloud of smoke. Then, turning to Charley, he
boomed: "But 'tis not such a bad fix we can't get out of un! No, sir!
We'll see about _this_ fix! We'll see!"

"Thank you," said Charley gratefully, and with hope that there might be
a way out of his trouble after all.

"Now, to start in the beginning, and that's where most things have to
start," said Skipper Zeb, "we won't worry about un. Worry is bad for the
insides of a man's head, and what's bad for the insides of a man's head
is bad for all of his insides, and if he worries, and keeps un up, he
gets sick. To-day is to-day and to-morrow is to-morrow. 'Tis but sense
for a man to provide for to-morrow, and do his best to do un, but if he
can't there's no use his worryin' about un. That's how I figgers. You're
feelin' well and hearty to-day?"

"Yes," admitted Charley.

"You just had a good snack of vittles?"

"Yes."

"You're warm and snug?"

"Yes."

"There you be! The worst of un's took care of to start with! Feelin'
well, a belly full of good vittles, warm and snug! Now keep feelin'
contented, and right as if this was your own home. Nothin' to worry
over. No, sir, not a thing! Now we've headed off the worst of un.

"You're in a fix, but 'twon't trouble us any. Not us! Life is full of
fixes, first and last. 'Twouldn't be much fun livin' if we didn't get in
fixes now and again! 'Tis a fine bit of sport figgerin' the way out of
fixes. Fixes gives us a change and somethin' to think about. There's a
way out of most fixes _I_ finds, even the worst of un."

"Do you think the ship will come back for me?" asked Charley anxiously.

"Well, now," Skipper Zeb wrinkled his forehead as though he were
pondering the question deeply, "if she comes back she'll come in through
the tickle and come to in the offing and blow her whistle, and we'll
hear un, and be ready for she. If she don't come back, she'll not blow
her whistle, and we'll not hear un. We'll be stayin' here as snug as a
bear in his den and listen for that whistle."

"But _do_ you think she'll com