rom the companionway.

"It's dark and threatening," replied Jim, "and looks fierce, but for
real high rolling give me that first night in the channel between Maui
and Hawaii."

Jo made some remark, but a sudden gust of wind took it out of his
mouth and anyone to leeward would have got the benefit of it. The only
light forward was a glow that came from the engine-room. Jim and Jo
stepped inside out of the storm and found Juarez there as usual, and
Tom was seated on a step. He was watching the two men moving around
the shining engine, which worked smoothly and unceasingly, and its
condition showed how carefully it was tended.

"Gosh! but it is good to get inside here out of the storm," exclaimed
Jim. The engineer nodded pleasantly, as he was a man of few words.

CHAPTER IX

THE ENGINEER

The engineer of the _Sea Eagle_ has not received much attention,
either in this book or in the one just preceding, but this is not
because he, John Berwick, was not worthy of consideration, but because
he was apparently a very quiet man, whose conversation was generally
confined to monosyllables; likewise his work kept him out of the
limelight, as it were.

But word had come via Juarez, who of all the crew was the only one
whom the engineer admitted into his confidence to any degree, that
John Berwick had really a most interesting career. This was true to a
far greater extent than the boys knew. A sailor like old Pete or a
mariner like Captain Kerns would see the shores of many countries and
land in numerous ports, but learn nothing of the real people, or the
nature of the countries.

But with the engineer it had been an entirely different proposition.
He came of a good family and had received an excellent education, but
from his youth he had been wild and adventurous, and was always
traveling, by different ways and in varying occupations, going into
the interiors of little-known countries and becoming acquainted with
the nature and character of their inhabitants.

As he is a man well worth knowing, I will describe his appearance for
the benefit of the reader. As to age, John Berwick might be anywhere
from thirty-five to forty years. In height, five feet nine, with
rather square shoulders, and neither light nor heavy in build, but
with a frame that indicated quickness and great powers of endurance.

He was evidently one of those men who have a certain care to their
physical condition, without overdoing it and making p