“Why?”

“Because I am servant.”

“Not here, surely,” replied the shipbuilder.  “All the waiters here are negroes.”

“Not all in kitchen, honorable sir,” responded the Japanese, with an air of great deference.  “Some in kitchen are Japanese.”

“Are you employed in the kitchen, Mr. Kamanako?” asked the shipbuilder.

“Until to-day, honorable sir.”

“Meaning you have left the employ of the hotel?”

“Yes, honorable sir.”

“Then you’re going away from here?”

“I hope to follow the sea, honorable sir.  I am a sailor.  All my ancestors before me were sailors.  We love the salt water.”

“There is something, then, that I can do for you, isn’t there?” guessed the shipbuilder.

“If you will be so good, honorable sir.  I seek to become steward aboard your boat.”

“Oh,” replied M. Farnum, understanding, at last.  “You will have to speak to Captain Benson about that.”

He indicated Jack by a nod, so the little Japanese turned to Benson with another bow.

Now, as it happened, a steward was just what Captain Benson wanted.  Such duties, formerly, had fallen upon Eph Somers.  But now cooking and serving meals did not exactly jibe with Eph’s present position aboard the “Benson” Eph was really first officer or mate.

“Yes, we want a steward,” Jack admitted.  “There’s just one drawback, though, Kamanako.  We can carry very few people aboard, so that everyone who does ship with us has to count.  In other words, our steward must also cook the meals in the galley.”

“I think that will be all right, honorable Captain,” replied the Japanese, thoughtfully.  “How many have you on board?”

“Six,” answered the young submarine commander.

Kamanako thoughtfully counted that number on his fingers.

“It is not too many,” replied the Japanese.  “What do you pay, honorable Captain?”

“Forty dollars, and found.”

“I will accept, honorable Captain.”

“Are you sure that you can cook well enough for hungry sailors?”

“I am satisfied that I can cook for anyone, honorable Captain,” rejoined the little brown man, rather proudly.

“That sounds well enough,” smiled Jack.  “Have you had your breakfast, Kamanako?”

“Oh, yes, honorable Captain.”

“Then, if you’ll wait for us, we’ll take you aboard.  We shall be going in a half an hour, or sooner.”

“Would it not be as well, honorable Captain, if I go out before you?” asked Kamanako, respectfully.

“No,” smiled, Benson.  “Our first officer, Mr. Somers, does not take kindly to strangers who are not introduced.”

“Then, if I may suggest—­if honorable Captain will write note for me—­then I might go out sooner.”

“If you want to go aboard, Kamanako, we’ll take you out when we go,” Jack replied.  He was annoyed, though he could not have told why, by the little brown man’s insistence.