her my appreciation is
to give her the monkeys."

"Speak for yourself, sir, please. Half that monkey transaction is
mine, and I don't intend to impoverish myself for any girl. I mean to
train them till they're worth a lot of money, then sell them."

"Oh! no you won't. You're not half bad, don't you know? You like to
talk something fierce but it's _talk_. If it isn't, pick out your own
monk and be off with it. You'll have to leave me the cage for Dorothy
because she'll have to keep _my_ monk, _her_ monk, _the_ monk in it
sometimes."

"Most of the times I guess. I don't like the looks of the creatures
anyway. They're ugly. I wish you fellows had left them on that
sailor's hands. He just befooled us with his big talk. Why, sir, I
got so interested myself I'd have hired out to any ship would have me
if it had come along just then. Queer, ain't it? The way just _talk_
can change a fellow's mind," said Jim. "Hello, Cap'n! What you found
now?"

The old man had been limping about on the bank where Billy had enjoyed
himself, and which his teeth had shorn smooth as a mowing machine
might have done. It was a field rarely used, which explains why Billy
and Methuselah had been left to do as they pleased there. So Metty had
carried thither all the trifling toys and playthings he had picked up
during his trip. Shells, curious stones, old nails, a battered
jew's-harp, and a string of buttons, had been stored in an old basket
which the pickaninny called his playhouse.

The playhouse caught the old man's eye and the end of his crutch as
well, and he glared angrily upon the "trash" which had come in his
way. Also, he lifted the crutch and flung Metty's treasures broadcast.
Among them was an old wallet, still securely strapped with a bit of
leather. Captain Jack had a notion he'd seen that wallet before, but
couldn't recall where. Opening it he drew out a yellowed bit of
old-fashioned letter-paper on which a rude picture was sketched. There
were a few written words at the bottom of the sketch, but "readin'
handwrite" was one of the accomplishments the good captain disdained.

But his curiosity was aroused and he whistled to the lads to join him,
holding up the paper as an inducement. They did so, promptly, and Jim
took the extended paper, thinking it was another note from the absent
"Lilies," as the house-boat company had named itself.

Then he, too, whistled, and cried:

"Hello! Here's a find! Has something to do with that fool