The house is unique, too, in Wharfedale for the variety of its contents.  Desperately poor though Kettle might be on many of his returns from his unsuccessful ventures, he never came back to his wife without some present from a foreign clime as a tangible proof of his remembrance, and because these were usually mere curiosities, without intrinsic value, they often evaded the pawn-shop in those years of dire distress, when more negotiable articles passed irretrievably away from the family possession.  And with them too, in stiff, decorous frames, are those certificates and testimonials which a master mariner always collects, together with photographs of gratuitously small general interest.

But one might turn the house upside down without finding so carnal an instrument as a revolver, and when I suggested to Kettle once that we might go outside and have a little pistol practice, he glared at me, and I thought he would have sworn.  However, he let me know stiffly enough that whatever circumstances might have made him at sea, he had always been a very different man ashore in England, and there the matter dropped.

But speaking of mementoes, there is one link with the past that Mrs. Kettle, poor woman, never ceases to regret the loss of.  “Such a beautiful gold watch,” she says it was too, “with the Emperor’s and the Captain’s names engraved together on the back, and just a nice mention of the Gross of Carl.”  As it happened, I saw the letter with which it was returned.  It ran like this:—­

     To His Majesty the German Emperor,
     Berlin, Germany

     S.S.  “Flamingo,”
     Liverpool,

     Sir,

I am in receipt of watch sent by your agent, the German ambassador in London, which I return herewith.  It is not my custom to accept presents from people I don’t know, especially if I have talked about them.  I have talked about you, not liking several thing’s you’ve done, especially telegraphing about Dr. Jameson.  Sir, you should remember that man was down when you sent your wire and couldn’t hit back.  Some of the things I have said about German deck hands you needn’t take too much notice about.  They aren’t so bad as they might be if properly handled.  But they want handling.  Likewise learning English.

     My wife wants to keep your photo, so I send you one of hers
     in return, so there shall be no robbery.  She has written her
     name over it, same as yours.

     Yours truly,
     O. Kettle (Master)._