the interview.

"We can't do anything until we get to London," said the skipper, as he
made copious notes of Smith's adventures. "As soon as we get there, I'll
lend you the money to telegraph to your friends to tell 'em you're safe
and to send you some clothes, and of course you'll have free board
and lodging till it comes, and I'll write out an account of it for the
newspapers."

"You're very good," said Smith blankly.

"And I don't know what you are," said the skipper, interrogatively; "but
you ought to go in for swimming as a profession--six hours' swimming
about like that is wonderful."

"You don't know what you can do till you have to," said Smith modestly,
as he backed slowly away; "but I never want to see the water again as
long as I live."

The two remaining days of their passage passed all too quickly for the
men, who were casting about for some way out of the difficulty which
they foresaw would arise when they reached London.

"If you'd only got decent clothes," said Joe, as they passed Gravesend,
"you could go off and send a telegram, and not come back; but you
couldn't go five yards in them things without having a crowd after you."

"I shall have to be taken I s'pose," said Smith moodily.

"An' poor old Dan'll get six months hard for helping you off," said Joe
sympathetically, as a bright idea occurred to him.

"Rubbish!" said Dan uneasily. "He can stick to his tale of being upset;
anyway, the skipper saw him pulled out of the water. He's too honest a
chap to get an old man into trouble for trying to help him."

"He must have a new rig out, Dan," said Joe softly. "You an' me'll go
an' buy 'em. I'll do the choosing, and you'll do the paying. Why, it'll
be a reg'lar treat for you to lay out a little money, Dan. We'll have
quite an evening's shopping, everything of the best."

The infuriated Dan gasped for breath, and looked helplessly at the
grinning crew.

"I'll see him--overboard first," he said furiously.

"Please yourself," said Joe shortly, "If he's caught you'll get six
months. As it is, you've got a chance of doing a nice, kind little
Christian act, becos, o' course, that twenty-five bob you got out of him
won't anything like pay for his toggery."

Almost beside himself with indignation, the old man moved off, and said
not another word until they were made fast to the wharf at Limehouse.
He did not even break silence when Joe, taking him affectionately by the
arm, led him aft to the ski