nce, provided he and McBride can
come to terms. See that they do. Tell Mac he's to have the Retriever,
and I'll arrange to get Cap'n Noah's interest for him from the estate at
a fair figure. Give him expense money and his credentials and tell him
to start for Cape Town tomorrow night; and cable the man Peasley to
retain charge of the vessel at captain's pay until McBride arrives to
relieve him."

Mr. Skinner retired to his office and got down his code book. The
general manager knew what he desired to say and hoped he might find
something in the code book to help him say it at cut rates, but
despairing after a diligent search he finally evolved and dispatched
this cablegram to Matt Peasley, addressing it to the cable address of
the Retriever.

San Francisco, Feb. 16th, 19--.

Rickstar,
Cape Town.

Peasley, your meager maritime experience renders prohibitive
compliance request. Retain charge master's pay pending arrival
successor.

Bluestar.

Having dispatched his message to Matt Peasley, Mr. Skinner, as he
thought, had dismissed Peasley from his thoughts forever. It would
appear, however, that in this particular the general manager was
counting Mother Carey s chickens before they were hatched. He little
suspected, in his desire to be fair, even at considerable expense, to
inform Matt Peasley just why the Blue Star Navigation Company couldn't
possibly hand over its fine barkentine to a stranger, that he had only
reopened the controversy; that his unfortunate reference to "meager
maritime experience" had flicked Matt Peasley on a raw spot and been
provocative of this reply, received the same day:

Cape Town, Feb. 16, 19--.

Bluestar,
San Francisco.

Skipper dying sea foreign port unwritten maritime law
stipulates mate succeeds. Yankee can sail anything afloat.
This my chance. Grant it or insure successor's life. Will
throw him overboard on arrival.

Peasley.

Mr. Skinner promptly carried this defi to Cappy Ricks.

"He's a sea-lawyer," Cappy piped angrily. "The scoundrel! The
un-mi-ti-ga-ted--scoundrel! Cable him instantly, Skinner, that if he
spends another cent of our money in unnecessary cablegrams I'll fire
him." He snapped his fingers. "Attend to it, Skinner, attend to it."

Mr. Skinner attended to it, and the followi