Ay, I see," answered the skipper. "Well, I think you acted very
wisely, boatswain, in heaving-to; I don't know that you could have done
anything better, under the circumstances. But, as to sparing an officer
to navigate you--I have had the misfortune to lose one of my own mates
this voyage, and,"--here his eye happened to fall on me, and he
considered me attentively for several seconds, as though he felt he had
seen me before somewhere, and was trying to remember who I was. Then
his countenance lit up as an idea seemed to strike him, and he addressed
me briskly:

"What d'ye say, Troubridge? You've heard this man's yarn, and
understand the fix that they're in aboard the ship yonder. You are a
perfectly reliable navigator, and a very fair seaman; moreover, the
boatswain says that he and the carpenter are seamen enough to take care
of the ship, which I do not for a moment doubt. Do you feel inclined to
undertake the job of navigating the _Mercury_ from here to Sydney? It
ought to be a very good thing for you, you know. I have no doubt that
the owners--"

I did not wait for him to finish; I knew enough to understand perfectly
well what a splendid thing it would be for me, from a professional point
of view, if I should succeed in safely navigating such a ship as the
_Mercury_ to Sydney; and I had no shadow of doubt of my ability to do
so; I therefore cut in by eagerly expressing my readiness to undertake
the task.

"Then that is all right," remarked the skipper.

Turning to Polson, he said: "This young gentleman is Mr Philip
Troubridge, one of my midshipman-apprentices. He has been with me for a
matter of three years; and he is, as you just now heard me say, an
excellent navigator, and a very good seaman. I have not the least doubt
that he will serve your purpose quite as well as anyone else that you
are at all likely to pick up; and if you care to have him I shall be
pleased to spare him to you. But that is the best that I can do for
you; as I told you, a little while ago, I have lost one of my mates--"

"Say no more, sir; say no more," interrupted Polson. "Your
recommendation's quite sufficient to satisfy me that Mr--er--
Troubridge'll do very well; an' since he's willin' to come with us we'll
have him most gratefully, sir, and with many thanks to you for sparin'
of him to us."

"Very well, then; that is settled," exclaimed the skipper briskly.
Then, turning to me, he said:

"Cut away at once, Troubrid