want so much salt for?"

"'Twas yon varlet's idea," said I, "when he laid in the ship's stores.
But I had a mind that, to my taste, no salt is better than that made
by the Manning plantation mines. But now," I added, "to your
breakfast, after you have bathed."

"Peterson," said I, after they had left me, and pointing to the chart,
"lay her west by south. I want to run inside the Timbalier Shoals."

"Very shallow there, Mr. Harry--just look at the soundings, sir."

"That's why I want to go. Hold on till you get the light at this
channel here, southeast of the Cote Blanche. You'll get a lot of
floating hyacinth, but do what you can. I'll take my trick, as soon as
I get a bite to eat. By night we'll be over our hurry and we can all
arrange for better sleep."

"And then--I--ahem! Mr. Harry, what are your plans?" He was just a
trifle troubled over all this.

"My plans, Peterson," said I, "are to anchor off Timbalier to-night,
to anchor in this channel of Cote Blanche to-morrow--and to eat
breakfast now." Saying which I left him gloomily shaking his head, but
laying her now west by south as I had made the course.

"The glass is falling mighty fast, Mr. Harry," he called over his
shoulder to me by way of encouragement.

CHAPTER XXVIII

IN WHICH IS CERTAIN POLITE CONVERSATION

My boy had ironed my trousers, that is to say, the trousers I had
given him the year previous, and which he now had loaned to me, my
extremity being greater than his own. He had laundered my collars--a
most useful boy, my China boy. I had, moreover, delving in Cal
Davidson's wardrobe, discovered yet another waistcoat, if possible
more radiant even than the one with pink stripes, for that it was
cross hatched with bars of pale pea green and mauve--I know not from
what looms he obtained these wondrous fabrics. Thus bravely attired
after breakfast, just before luncheon, indeed, it was, I felt
emboldened to call upon the captive ladies once more. With much shame
I owned that I had not seen Auntie Lucinda for nearly two days--and
with much trepidation, also, for I knew not what new bitterness her
soul, meantime, might have distilled into venom against my coming.

I knocked at the door of the ladies' cabin, the aftermost suite on the
boat, and, at first, had no answer. The door, naturally, on a boat of
this size, would be low, the roof rising above decks no higher than
one's waist; and as I bent to knock again, the door of the companion
s