The best thing in the known history of Spike was the fact that his steward had sailed with him for more than twenty years.  Where he had picked up Josh no one could say, but Josh and himself, and neither chose to be very communicative on the subject.  But Josh had certainly been with him as long as he had sailed the Swash, and that was from a time actually anterior to the birth of Mulford.  The mate soon had the negro in the council.

“I say, Josh,” asked Spike, “do you happen to remember such a hand aboard here as one Jack Tier?”

“Lor’ bless you, yes sir—­’members he as well as I do the pea soup that was burnt, and which you t’rowed all over him, to scald him for punishment.”

“I’ve had to do that so often, to one careless fellow or other, that the circumstance does n’t recall the man.  I remember him—­but not as clear as I could wish.  How long did he sail with us?”

“Sebberal v’y’ge, sir, and got left ashore down on the main, one night, when’e boat were obliged to shove off in a hurry.  Yes, ’members little Jack, right well I does.”

“Did you see the man that spoke us from the wharf, and hailed for this very Jack Tier?”

“I see’d a man, sir, dat was won’erful Jack Tier built like, sir, but I did n’t hear the conwersation, habbin’ the ladies to ’tend to.  But Jack was oncommon short in his floor timbers, sir, and had no length of keel at all.  His beam was won’erful for his length, altogedder—­what you call jolly-boat, or bum-boat build, and was only good afore’e wind, Cap’n Spike.”

“Was he good for anything aboard ship, Josh?  Worth heaving-to for, should he try to get aboard of us again?”

“Why, sir, can’t say much for him in dat fashion.  Jack was handy in the cabin, and capital feller to carry soup from the gally, aft.  You see, sir, he was so low-rigged that the brig’s lurchin’ and pitchin’ could n’t get him off his pins, and he stood up like a church in the heaviest wea’der.  Yes, sir, Jack was right good for dat.”

Spike mused a moment—­then he rolled the tobacco over in his mouth, and added, in the way a man speaks when his mind is made up—­“Ay ay!  I see into the fellow.  He’ll make a handy lady’s maid, and we want such a chap just now.  It’s better to have an old friend aboard, than to be pickin’ up strangers, ’long shore.  So, should this Jack Tier come off to us, from any of the islands or points ahead, Mr. Mulford, you’ll round to and take him aboard.  As for the steamer, if she will only pass out into the Sound where there’s room, it shall go hard with us but I get to the eastward of her, without speaking.  On the other hand, should she anchor this side of the fort, I’ll not attempt to pass her.  There is deep water inside of most of the islands, I know, and we’ll try and dodge her in that way, if no better offer.  I’ve no more reason than another craft to fear a government vessel, but the sight of one of them makes me oncomfortable; that’s all.”