ape, he hunts a hole an' he crawls
in when Mr. Peth he begins to act up."

"You mean you're afraid of him?"

"Not exac'ly what you'd go an' call 'fraid, but I don' take no
chances." He chuckled again, and wagged his head. He could not
manipulate the lock to get the bag open, and Trask reached down and
showed him how it was done.

"Then you consider Mr. Peth a dangerous man?"

"He sho' is."

"How is he dangerous?"

"Well, Mr. Trask, I don' lak' to go an' say nothin' agin a man,
'specially when he's matin' round a boat what I'm in."

"Oh, I suppose he's rough with a sailor if it suits his fancy,"
said Trask, convinced now that Doc was merely making talk, and
telling a yarn simply to impress him.

"He wouldn't look twice to hang somethin' on a man's haid, Mr. Peth
wouldn't. I done saw him stab a man once, not no sailorman,
neither, stab him right in the back o' the neck with one o' these
hyar Sweden knives with a ring on the handle. He was a planter down
Zamboanga way, an' a genelman like you, in white clothes. He come
sassin' round Mr. Peth on the pier. He won't sass 'round no mo',
mos' certain."

"Fol-de-rol," said Trask. "You're trying to make him out a bad man.
I want to know something about him."

"Ain't I tellin' of ye?" asked Doc. "Who all can tell ye, if I
don'? Reckon that Zamboanga planter's gwine come back to life jes'
fo' talkin' purposes, Mr. Trask?"

"But he and Captain Jarrow must get along if they've been together
for several years."

"Git along, man! Them two don' git along, not the way we-all say
it. Mr. Peth an' de cap'n? Huh! Them two git along smooth as a
houn' dawg in a brier patch."

"They quarrel a lot, eh?"

"Fight ain' no name fer it. Mr. Peth he owns part of this hyar
schooner, an' Cap'n Jarrow he wants fer to git him out. I look for
him to drap Mr. Peth over the side some fine night--if Mr. Peth
don' drap him fust."

"Then that's why Mr. Peth didn't want to sleep aft here?"

"Mos' doubtless. He pick up his traps an' go. Mr. Peth he done ship
de crew. Yo' don' reckon he picked out Cap'n Jarrow's Sunday
friends, does ye? No, suh. Mr. Peth, he knows what he's a-doin' of.
He looks to be with his own friends when he goes for'ard."

"Well, that's a nice arrangement, to have the mate in with the crew
and opposed to the captain."

"Won't do no harm thataway," said Doc with much assurance.

"Why not?"

"I reckon Cap'n Jarrow's got some friends along."

"I suppose you side w