etter?"
This made me feel that probably the man knew Mr. Jermyn. "Yes," I said.
"He's got no cough, now." "He'd a bad one last time he was here," the
man answered. For a while he kept silent. He seemed to me to be puzzling
out the relative heights of our masts. Suddenly he turned to me, with
a very natural air. "How's Mr. Scott's business going?" he asked. "You
know, eh? You know what I mean?" I was taken off my guard. I'm afraid
I hesitated, though I knew that the man's sharp eyes noted every little
change on my face. Then, in the most natural way, the man reassured me.
"You know," he said. "What demand for oranges in London?" I was thankful
that he had not meant the other business. I said with a good deal too
much of eagerness that there was, I believed, a big demand for oranges.
"Yes," he said, "I suppose so many young boys makes a brisk demand." I
was uneasy at the man's manner. He seemed to be pumping me, but he had
such a natural easy way, under the pale mask of his face, that I could
not be sure if he were in the secret or not. I was on my guard now,
ready for any question, as I thought, but eager for an excuse to get
away from this man before I betrayed any trust. "Nice ship," he said
easily. "Did you join her in Spain?" "No," I answered. "In London." "In
London?" he said. "I thought you'd something of a Spanish look." "No," I
said. "I'm English. Did you want the carpenter, sir?"

"Yes," he answered. "I do. But no hurry. No hurry, lad." Here he pulled
out a watch, which he wound up, staring vacantly about the decks as he
did so. "Tell me, boy," he said gently. "Is Lane come over with you?" To
tell the truth, it flashed across my mind, when he pulled out his watch,
that he was making me unready for a difficult question. I was not a very
bright boy; but I had this sudden prompting or instinct, which set me on
my guard. No one is more difficult to pump than a boy who is ready for
his questioner, so I stared at him. "Lane?" I said, "Lane? Do you mean
the bo'sun?"

"No," he said. "The Colonel. You know? Eh?"

"No." I said. "I don't know."

"Oh well," he answered. "It's all one. I suppose he's not come over." At
this moment the mate came on deck with the carpenter, carrying a model
ship which they had been making together in their spare time. They
nodded to the stranger, who gave them a curt "How do?" as though they
had parted from him only the night before. The mate growled at me for
wasting time on deck when I s