ified Mike's description of them when they met, both gangs, at
their afternoon recess in Mike's barroom. They conversed in shouts and
whoops, uttering words that, while they bore a slight resemblance to
English, were in the main unintelligible. Murphy endeavored to find
those whose sole-leather flesh had stopped a bullet, but could not.
However, digging his fingers into the breasts and shoulders of a few of
the quietest convinced him that the story could not be far wrong. The
stiffened muscles felt like bones.

He treated them all, and was glad, when he saw them drink, that he had
not promised them free whisky at his house; but he reiterated his
promise of "mate" three times a day, and secured their promise to board
at his house while waiting for sailing-day. This done, he finished his
visit and returned to New York.

His first task was to estimate the business situation; it was the same,
except that his boarders had gone at the request of Mrs. Murphy. This
was good, almost as good as the news that Williams's old crew had
scattered and that there was not a deep-water man in port to aid
Hennesey in his first job in the shipping business. He cautiously
hunted for Hennesey, meeting him by accident, as he said, in the street
at daytime, safe from possible bricks or clubs coming out of the dark.

"And how are ye, Tim?" he said, exuberantly, as he extended his hand.

"So so," answered Hennesey, ignoring the greeting and eying his late
employer suspiciously. "And how is it wid you?"

"Fine, Hennesey, fine. In a week I'll have as fine a crew of min in me
house as iver ye laid eyes on. Lake sailors, every wan o' thim. And
I'll be after havin' to find thim a ship."

"That's easier than to find the min," said Hennesey, still watching for
a sudden demonstration of Murphy's fist. "I'll be goin' to Philadelphy,
I think, or Boston."

"And it'll cost ye a hundred, Hennesey. I've done it. It takes a cool
hundred to bring a crew on from either port. Don't be a fule, Hennesey.
I'm domned sorry I slugged ye. I wuz put out, ye see, but I felt bad
about it nixt day. I can't deal wid Williams, the dog, but I can wid
you, and you can wid him."

"Speak up. What do ye want, John Murphy?"

"That we git together, Hennesey, for our mutual advantage. Give up this
idee of gittin' me business away from me. Ye can't do it. I'm too well
established, and the only skipper I've blacklisted is Williams, and
he's all ye've got."

"What do I git o