Referring copper paint, I know from practical experience which brand is best; you know only what paint dealer tells you.  Will not stand abuse for knowing my business and attending to it without instructions from landlubber!  When you appointed me you said remember speed synonymous with dividends in shipping business.  How can I make fast passages with whiskers two feet long on my keel?  Send new flying jib and spanker next loading port.  Send new skipper, too, if you feel that way about it.

Peasley.

“Well, Skinner,” Cappy Ricks declared, “this is the first time a skipper in my employ ever talked back—­and it’ll be the last.  I’ve had enough of this fellow’s impudence, Skinner.  He’s right at that—­blast him—­but he’s too much of a sea lawyer; and I won’t have any employee of mine telling me how to run my business.  Send in a stenographer.”

When the stenographer entered Cappy Ricks said: 

“Ahem-m!  Harump-h-h-h!  Take telegram:  ’Captain Matthew Peasley, care Rainier Mill and Lumber Company, Tacoma, Washington.  You’re fired!  Ricks.’  Ahem!  Huh!  Har-ump!  Take ’nother telegram:  ’Mr. Michael J. Murphy, First Mate Barkentine Retriever’—­same address as Peasley—­’Accept this telegram as your formal appointment to command of our barkentine, Retriever, vice Matthew Peasley, discharged this day; forwarding to-morrow certificate of change of master.”  Sign that:  ‘Blue Star Navigation Company, per Alden P. Ricks,’ and get both telegrams on the wire right away.”

Cappy turned to Mr. Skinner and chuckled sardonically.

“I’ll bet that will gravel the man Peasley,” he declared.  “There’s nothing harder on a captain than being fired, and succeeded by his own mate—­particularly after he has so recently recommended that mate!  Peasley will be wild—­the pup!”

“Well,” Mr. Skinner replied, “appointing Mr. Murphy certainly has this advantage,—­he’s there on the ground and we are thus spared the expense of sending a man from here.”

“That’s one of the reasons why I appointed him—­one of three very excellent reasons, in fact.  Now we’ll wait and see what the man Peasley has to say to that telegram.”

They had to wait about two hours, and this was what Matt Peasley had to say: 

“Many thanks.  The second mate and the cook quit the minute they discovered it was to be another cargo of creosoted piling; and now that I am fired Mr. Murphy has concluded that he might as well quit also.  Will stick by ship, however, until you send my successor; meantime loading continues as usual.”

“Well, that’s what the man Peasley says!” Cappy snapped.  “Murphy’s quit, eh?  Well, I guess Mr. Murphy hadn’t received my telegram when Peasley sent this message.  It’ll take more than a cargo of creosoted piling to keep Murphy out of the master’s cabin when he hears from me.”