hat the skipper's ears were a little bit wider than
before; he was not at all deceived by this show of righteousness on
the part of a weak man.

"Well, well!" he sighed. "Say no more about it."

"I'm not denyin'," said Skipper George, "that it _could_ be done. I'm
not denyin' that it would be easy work. But I tells you, Tom Tulk,
that I'll have nothin' t' do with it. I'm an honest man, Tom Tulk, an'
I'd thank you t' remember it."

"Well, well!" Tom Tulk sighed again. "There's many a man in this
harbour would jump at the chance; but there's never another so honest
that I could trust him."

"Many a man, if you like," Skipper George growled; "but not me."

"No, no," Tom Tulk agreed, with a covert little sneer and grin; "not
you."

"'Tis a prison offense, man!"

"If you're cotched," Tom Tulk laughed. "An' tell me, George Rumm, is
_I_ ever been cotched?"

"I'm not sayin' you is."

"No; nor never will be."

It had all been talked over before, of course; and it would be talked
over again before a fortnight was past and the _Black Eagle_ had set
sail for the French Shore with a valuable cargo. Tom Tulk had begun
gingerly; he had proceeded with exquisite caution; he had ventured a
bit more; at last he had come boldly out with the plan. Manned with
care--manned as she could be and as Tom Tulk would take care to have
her--the _Black Eagle_ was the ship for the purpose; and Skipper
George, with a reputation for bad seamanship, was the man for the
purpose. And the thing _would_ be easy. Tom Tulk knew it. Skipper
George knew it. It could be successfully done. There was no doubt
about it; and Skipper George hated to think that there was no doubt
about it. The ease and safety with which he might have the money
tumble into his pocket troubled him. It was not so much a temptation
as an aggravation. He found himself thinking about it too often; he
wanted to put it out of his mind, but could not.

"Now, Tom Tulk," said he, at last, flushing angrily, "let's have no
more o' this. I'm fair tired of it. I'll have nothin' t' do with it;
an' I tells you so, once an' for all."

"Pass the bottle," said Tom Tulk.

The bottle went from hand to hand.

"We'll say no more about it," said Tom Tulk; "but I tells you, Skipper
George, that that little clerk o' yours, Tommy Bull, is just the
ticket. As for a crew, I got un handy."

"Belay, belay!"

"Ay, ay, Skipper George," Tom Tulk agreed; "but as for fetchin' a
cargo o' fish into St