12 THE BOY CAPTAIN.

with what I said, because, if it’ll do you any good, I’m
willin’ to own right up that it was a yarn.”

“Oh, yes, I know that,” was the reply. “You see
there’s been so many different yarns told already that it
wasn’t necessary for me to listen to you to know there
was something wrong about the whole affair.”

“ Then what did you begin pumpin’ me for?”

«JT just wanted to know what kind of a tale you’d
make out of it. Some of the rest of your crew are
pretty good at such things ; but I’m willin’ to say you’re
doing yourself proud at this time.”

« An’ I’m willin’ to say I’d like to have hold of the
collar of your jacket with one hand, and a bit of ratline
stuff in the other, for about five minutes.”

“Well, so long as you can’t have it that way, there’s
no use talking of it, so suppose you tell me how the
Starlight went down, and the name of the craft you
really shipped on last ?”

The sailor half arose to his feet, gazed around at his
friends, and then settled down again as if having decided
some question in his own mind.

“Look you, lad, what kind of a trade would you be
willin’ to make if I should give you the full pertic’lars
of our craft?”

«What kind of a trade do you want to make?”

“Tf it so be that these bloomin’ shipmates of mine
have n’t got sense enough to stick to the yarn we agreed
on, then I for one says it’s time to take care of myself.
Now I ain’t ownin’ that sich a thing has got to be done;