ut of it?"

"Ye git your blood-money from Williams, widout huntin' up yer min. I
git the allotment agin' the expense I'm put to in feedin' thim. The
regular thing, except thot ye make more than ye would as a runner--only
ye've got to muster 'em into the shippin'-office and sign 'em. I can't
appear. Williams might be there, and cold-deck the deal."

"Murphy, gimme me job back and I'm wid ye. But I want me priveleges--a
drink whin I nade it, and access to the bar for me frinds."

"Right, Hennesey; let bygones be bygones. Put this job through as
shippin'-master, and thin go on wid me as runner. Shake hands."

They shook, Murphy joyous and forgiving, Hennesey cold, suspicious, and
unforgiving. A handshake is a poor auditing of a fist blow.

"Whin does Williams want his min?" asked Murphy.

"In two weeks, about. Twinty-four able seamen."

"Thot's good. I'll have to feed 'em a week, and thot's dead loss; but
I'll be contint; yes, I'll be contint, Hennesey, if I can furnish
Williams wid the right kind of a crew, God d--bliss him!"

"Ye're gittin' religion, are ye not?" asked Hennesey. "I heard he
slugged ye around decks and bundled ye down into yer boat.'"

"Yes"--and Murphy's eyes shone--"but thot's all past, Hennesey. I'm not
the man to hold a grudge. Ye know thot."

"But I am," muttered Hennesey, as they parted.

And thus did Murphy plan his dark vengeance upon Captain Williams. It
went through without a hitch; the twenty-four wild men from Galway and
Limerick, shipped on by Brother Mike, arrived at Murphy's house in a
few days, and were housed and fed--"mate" with every meal--to the
scandal of Mrs. Murphy, who averred that she "niver seed such min."

"Fur they have no table manners, John," she said. "What's the use
givin' thim knives and forks, whin they don't know how to use thim?
Foor o' thim cut their mouths."

"Niver mind, Norah," said Murphy, kindly. "Give thim spoons; for a
spoon is like a shovel, ye know, and they're accustomed to shovels. And
give 'em bafe stew and mashed praties."

"I'll give 'em rat pizen, if I have to sarve 'em much longer,"
responded the good lady. "I was a silf-respictin' woman before I
married you, John Murphy, and didn't have to consort wid lunatics."

"Niver mind, Norah," answered Murphy, soothingly. "I'll be rid o' thim
in a few days, and ye'll have a new driss out o' the proceeds."

The proceeds were secured. Murphy collected a week's board in advance
from each, and indu