“Well, Skinner,” he piped.  “I’ve just come from the Merchants’ Exchange and I see by the blackboard that our Retriever cleared for Antofagasta yesterday.”

“Indeed!” Mr. Skinner replied politely.  “So you found a captain for her.  Whom did you send?”

“Nobody,” the old man cackled.  “Matt Peasley took her out, and the manager of the Rainier mill wires me that Murphy went with him as chief kicker.  What do you think of that?”

“Why, I’m—­er—­satisfied if you are, sir.”

“Well, you can bet I’m satisfied.  If I wasn’t I’d have a revenue cutter out after the man Peasley and his mate right now.  By golly, Skinner,” he piped, and slapped his wizened flank, “I tell you I’ve worked this deal pretty slick, if I do say it myself.  And all on dead reckoning—­dead reckoning, and not a single day of demurrage!”

“Oh!  So you wired Peasley and the mate and asked them to go back to work and forget they were discharged?” Mr. Skinner suggested witheringly.

“Skinner, on my word, you grow worse every day.  You’ve been with me, man and boy, twenty-odd years, and in all that time you never saw anybody cover me with blood, did you?”

“No, sir.”

“And you never will.  Why, I managed this affair by simply forgetting all about it!  When you’re in a jam, Skinner, always let the other fellow do the talking.  I just sat tight until I had a telegram from the man Peasley, informing me that the vessel would be loaded in two days and that his successor had not appeared as yet.  I threw that telegram in my wastebasket; and when the vessel was loaded I had another telegram from Peasley, saying that the vessel was loaded, that his successor was still missing, and the mill manager was kicking and insisting that the ship be hauled away from the dock to make room for a steam schooner which wanted to load.  So I filed that telegram in the wastebasket also.  It was a night letter, delivered in the morning.

“When Peasley didn’t get an answer by noon he wired again, saying that, as a favor to me, he would haul the Retriever into the stream, but would accept no responsibility for delay thereafter.  He said further that, as a courtesy to me and his successor, he was shipping a crew that day in order that there might be no delay in sailing when the new captain arrived; so I thought I had better reply to that telegram, Skinner—­and I did!”

“What did you say, Mr. Ricks?”

“I said:  ’Please do not annoy me with your telegrams.  You were fired a week ago, but it seems difficult for you to realize that fact.  If demurrage results through my failure to get new skipper there in time, that is no skin off your nose.  Your pay goes on until you are relieved, and you will be relieved when I get good and ready.’  That telegram did the business, Skinner.  He received it the day before yesterday and yesterday he towed out!”

Cappy Ricks burst into a shrill senile cackle that was really good to hear.  As they grow old most men lose that capacity for a hearty laugh, but Cappy’s perversity had kept him young at heart.  The tears of mirth cascaded down his seamed old countenance now, and he had to sit down and have his laugh out.