“By the way,” Cheyne answered casually, “what d’you calculate to make of your boy?”

Disko removed his cigar and waved it comprehensively round the cabin.  “Dan’s jest plain boy, an’ he don’t allow me to do any of his thinkin’.  He’ll hev this able little packet when I’m laid by.  He ain’t noways anxious to quit the business.  I know that.”

“Mmm!  ’Ever been West, Mr. Troop?”

“’Bin’s fer ez Noo York once in a boat.  I’ve no use for railroads.  No more hez Dan.  Salt water’s good enough fer the Troops.  I’ve been ‘most everywhere—­in the nat’ral way, o’ course.”

“I can give him all the salt water he’s likely to need—­till he’s a skipper.”

“Haow’s that?  I thought you wuz a kinder railroad king.  Harve told me so when—­I was mistook in my jedgments.”

“We’re all apt to be mistaken.  I fancied perhaps you might know I own a line of tea-clippers—­San Francisco to Yokohama—­six of ’em—­iron-built, about seventeen hundred and eighty tons apiece.

“Blame that boy!  He never told.  I’d ha’ listened to that, instid o’ his truck abaout railroads an’ ponycarriages.”

“He didn’t know.”

“’Little thing like that slipped his mind, I guess.”

“No, I only capt—­took hold of the ‘Blue M.’ freighters—­Morgan and McQuade’s old line—­this summer.”  Disko collapsed where he sat, beside the stove.

“Great Caesar Almighty!  I mistrust I’ve been fooled from one end to the other.  Why, Phil Airheart he went from this very town six year back—­no, seven—­an’ he’s mate on the San Jose—­ now—­twenty-six days was her time out.  His sister she’s livin’ here yet, an’ she reads his letters to my woman.  An’ you own the ‘Blue M.’ freighters?”

Cheyne nodded.

“If I’d known that I’d ha’ jerked the ‘We’re Here’ back to port all standin’, on the word.”

“Perhaps that wouldn’t have been so good for Harvey.”

“If I’d only known!  If he’d only said about the cussed Line, I’d ha’ understood!  I’ll never stand on my own jedgments again—­never.  They’re well-found packets.  Phil Airheart he says so.”

“I’m glad to have a recommend from that quarter.  Airheart’s skipper of the San Jose now.  What I was getting at is to know whether you’d lend me Dan for a year or two, and we’ll see if we can’t make a mate of him.  Would you trust him to Airheart?”

“It’s a resk taking a raw boy—­”

“I know a man who did more for me.”

“That’s diff’runt.  Look at here naow, I ain’t recommendin’ Dan special because he’s my own flesh an’ blood.  I know Bank ways ain’t clipper ways, but he hain’t much to learn.  Steer he can—­no boy better, if I say it—­an’ the rest’s in our blood an’ get; but I could wish he warn’t so cussed weak on navigation.”

“Airheart will attend to that.  He’ll ship as boy for a voyage or two, and then we can put him in the way of doing better.  Suppose you take him in hand this winter, and I’ll send for him early in the spring.  I know the Pacific’s a long ways off—­”