e useful to me or--I'm darned if I could stand him. I don't
like him after dark."

"They shines in the dark like a cat's--them eyes does."

"Drop it, Stubbs! Drop it! I want to forget him for a while. That
isn't telling me how you chanced----"

"That's just it," interrupted Wilson. "It was chance. I was looking
for an opportunity to get to Carlina, and by inspiration was led to
ask Stubbs. He made the proposition that I come with him, and I came.
I had no more idea of seeing you than my great-grandfather. I was
going back to thank you, but one thing has followed another so swiftly
that I hadn't the time."

"I know, I know. But if you really want to thank me, you must tell me
all about it some day. If things hadn't been coming so fast my own way
I should have lain awake nights guessing about you. If I could have
picked out one man I wanted on this trip with me I'd have taken a
chance on you. The way you stood off that crowd made a hit with me. I
don't know what sort of a deal you've made with Stubbs, but I'll make
one of my own with you after dinner. Now about the others. No
shanghaiing, was there, Stubbs? Every man knows where he's going and
what he's hired for?"

"They will afore they're through."

Danbury's face darkened.

"I'm afraid you've been overzealous. I won't have a man on board
against his will, if I have to sail back to port with him. But once
he's decided for himself,--I'll be damned if he turns yellow safely."

"Ye've gotter remember," said Stubbs, "that they're a pack er liars,
every mother's son of 'em. Maybe they'll say they was shanghaied;
maybe they won't. But I've got fifty papers to show they're liars
'cause they've put their names to th' bottom of every paper."

"And they were sober when they did it?"

"I ain't been lookin' arter their morals or their personal habits,"
replied Stubbs, with some disgust. "As fer their turnin' yeller--mos'
men are yeller until they are afraid not ter be."

"I don't believe it. I don't believe it,--not Americans. And that's
one thing I insisted upon,--they are all Americans?"

"Every mother's son of 'em swore they was. Not bein' present at their
birth----"

"Well, we'll look 'em over to-morrow and I'll have a talk with them.
I'm going to put it up to them squarely--good pay for good fighters.
By the Lord, Stubbs, I can't realize yet that we're actually on the
way. Think of it,--in less than a month we'll be at it!"

The dinner would have done credit