orld, but it wasn't your thought that did it."

"Of course you know the name of that steamer."

"Oh, now I think of her name! That is the Chicherwitherwing, and she
belongs to the Chinese navy. She is sent out on a voyage of discovery to
find the north pole, which she expects to reach here in the West Indies.
When she finds it, I will let you know by mail, if you will give me your
address," rattled Christy with abundant self-possession.

"No, no, now! You are chaffing me."

"Do you know, brother mortal of mine, that I suspect you are a Yankee;
for they say they live on baked beans, and earn the money to buy the
pork for them by asking questions."

"I am not a Yankee; I am a long way from that."

"Then perhaps you sympathize with the meridonial section of the nation
on the other side of the Gulf Stream."

"Which section?" asked the stranger, looking a little puzzled.

"The meridonial section."

"Which is that? I don't know which meridian you mean."

"I mean no meridian. Perhaps the word is a little irregular; I studied
French when I was in the Bangerwhangerlang College in China, and I am
sometimes apt to get that language mixed up with some other. Let me see,
we were speaking just now, were we not?"

"I was."

"Sometimes I can't speak any English, and I had forgotten about it.
If you prefer to carry on this conversation in Hebrew or Hindostanee,
I shall not object," added Christy gravely.

"I think I can do better with English."

"Have your own way about it; but 'meridonial' in French means
'southern,' if you will excuse me for making the suggestion."

"Then I am meridonial," replied the stranger, and he seemed to make the
admission under the influence of a sudden impulse.

"Your hand on that!" promptly added Christy, extending his own.

"All right!" exclaimed the other. "My name is Percy Pierson. What is
yours?"

"Percy Pierson!" exclaimed Christy, starting back with astonishment, as
though his companion had fired a pistol in his face.

"What is the matter now?" demanded Percy Pierson, surprised at the
demonstration of the other.

"What did you say your name was? Did I understand you aright?"

"I said my name was Percy Pierson. Is there any thing surprising about
that?" asked Percy, puzzled at the demeanor of Christy.

"See here, my jolly high-flyer, who told you my name?" demanded the son
of the owner of the Bellevite, with a certain amount of indignation in
his manner.

"You did not, to be