he weather-scarred stern, on which the name
was faintly discernible, the hulk had an air about it, the air of
something that has lived; it was eloquent of a varied and interesting
past.

And, to complete the picture, there sat on her deck a gnarled and brown
old man. He smoked a short pipe which was partially hidden in a tangle
of beard that had once been yellowish red but was now streaked with
dirty white; he fished earnestly without apparent result, and from time
to time he spat into the water. Cleggett's nimble fancy at once put
rings into his ears and dowered him with a history.

Cleggett noticed, as he walked aboard the vessel, that she seemed to be
jammed not merely against, but into the bank of the canal. She was
nearer the shore than he had ever seen a vessel of any sort. Some
weeds grew in soil that had lodged upon the deck; in a couple of places
they sprang as high as the rail. Weeds grew on shore; in fact, it
would have taken a better nautical authority than Cleggett to tell
offhand just exactly where the land ended and the Jasper B. began. She
seemed to be possessed of an odd stability; although the tide was
receding the Jasper B. was not perceptibly agitated by the motion of
the water. Of anchor, or mooring chains or cables of any sort, there
was no sign.

The brown old man--he was brown not only as to the portions of his skin
visible through his hair and whiskers, but also as to coat and trousers
and worn boots and cap and pipe and flannel shirt--turned around as
Cleggett stepped aboard, and stared at the invader with a shaggy-browed
intensity that was embarrassing.

It occurred to Cleggett that the old man might own the vessel and make
a home of her.

"I beg your pardon if I am intruding," ventured Cleggett, politely,
"but do you live here?"

The brown old man made an indeterminate motion of his head, without
otherwise replying at once. Then he took a cake of dark, hard-looking
tobacco from the starboard pocket of his trousers and a clasp knife
from the port side. He shaved off a fresh pipeful, rolled it in his
palms, knocked the old ash from his pipe, refilled and relighted it,
all with the utmost deliberation. Then he cut another small piece of
tobacco from the "plug" and popped it into his mouth. Cleggett
perceived with surprise that he smoked and chewed tobacco at the same
time. As he thus refreshed himself he glanced from time to time at
Cleggett as if unfavorably impressed. Final