and that you will sit on those sands
and wish within yourself all you would buy to be comfortable. Go out and
buy me those things--in abundance.' Those were my directions."

He puffed.

"What does he pay you?" he asked.

"Enough," I replied.

"More than enough, by a good deal, I'll bet," he rejoined. "The old fool!
He ought to have left it to me. What is this craft? Have you ever sailed
on her before?"

"No."

"Have any of the crew?"

I replied that I believed all of them were Selover's men. He threw the
cigarette butt into the sea and turned back.

"Well, I wish you joy of your double wages," he mocked.

So he knew that, after all! How much more of his ignorance was pretended
I had no means of guessing. His eye gleamed sarcastically as he sauntered
toward the companion-way. Handy Solomon was at the wheel, steering easily
with one foot and an elbow. His steel hook lay fully exposed, glittering
in the sunlight. Darrow glanced at it curiously, and at the man's
headgear.

"Well, my genial pirate," he drawled, "if you had a line to fit that
hook, you'd be equipped for fishing." The man's teeth bared like an
animal's, but Darrow went on easily as though unconscious of giving
offence. "If I were you, I'd have it arranged so the hook would turn
backward as well as forward. It would be handier for some
things,--fighting, for instance."

He passed on down the companion. Handy Solomon glared after him, then
down at his hook. He bent his arm this way and that, drawing the hook
toward him softly, as a cat does her claws. His eyes cleared and a look
of admiration crept into them.

"By God, he's right!" he muttered, and after a moment; "I've wore that
ten year and never thought of it. The little son of a gun!"

He remained staring for a moment at the hook. Then he looked up and
caught my eye. His own turned quizzical. He shifted his quid and began to
hum:

"The bos'n laid aloft, aloft laid he,
_Blow high, blow low! What care we?_
'There's a ship upon the wind'ard, a wreck upon the lee,'
_Down on the coast of the high Barbare-e-e."_

We had entered the trades and were making good time. I was content to
stay on deck, even in my watch below. The wind was strong, the waves
dashing, the sky very blue. From under our forefoot the flying fish sped,
the monsters pursued them. A tingle of spray was in the air. It was all
very pleasant. The red handkerchief around Solomon's head made a pretty
spot of colour a