to enter into an engagement with me?"

"Yes, sir. I couldn't honestly promise to do all you want. I'm not
such a perfect man as you've made up your mind to get."

"And you don't like the risk of such an expedition as I propose?"

"I never said so, sir," cried the captain bluffly. "It's what I should
like."

"Then why not go?"

"Because, sir, I tell you I am not the sort of man you want. I dessay I
could do a bit of fighting if I was put to it. Anyhow, I should try if
anyone began to meddle with me or those who were with me, but--oh, no,
you want too much."

"Brace," said Sir Humphrey, turning to his brother, "speak out frankly.
It is dangerous to be hasty in choosing one's companions, but I want to
know what you think of Captain Banes."

"He's just the very man we want," cried the young man, flushing.

"Thankye, my lad, thankye," said the captain, clapping the young fellow
on the shoulder. "That's honest, for your eyes say it as well as your
lips. But you're a pretty sort of fellow to drive a bargain! Why,
you're asking me to raise my terms because you want me. That's not
business."

"Never mind about that, captain," said Sir Humphrey, smiling. "Hullo,
what's the matter?"

"I want to go and ask that tall thin yellow chap what he means by spying
round this table and trying to hear what we're talking about."

"Let the man alone, captain, and take my advice. Don't quarrel with
strangers in a foreign port."

"Advice taken, sir, and paid for," said the captain, stretching out a
big brown hairy hand and gripping Sir Humphrey's firmly. "Quite right.
Thankye, sir. I like you better for that than I did ten minutes ago.
You make me feel half sorry that I can't come to terms with you. You
want too much."

"No, he doesn't," cried Brace warmly. "We want you."

"But I'm not the sort of man for you at all, gentlemen."

"A man does not know himself so well as others know him," said Sir
Humphrey, smiling. "Captain Banes, I shall be sorry if we do not come
to terms, for I believe we should soon become firm friends."

"Well, I've some such idea as that, gentlemen," said the captain.

"Think it over for a couple of days, Captain Banes," said Sir Humphrey.
"I will wait till then."

"Nay," said the captain firmly; "a man wants to be careful, but he
doesn't want two days to go shilly-shallying over such a thing as this;
and if you gentlemen think that you can trust me--"

"There's my hand," said Sir Hum