"How are you makin' out, mister?" asked the bosun's mate of Jack, as he threw himself down lazily.

"First rate," replied the rover cheerily. "By the way, I seem to recall your voice. Were you on the China Station five years ago in the Diadem?"

"I was that."

"Coxswain to old Typhoon Blake?"

"Why, that's so."

"Remember rescuing a man from a sampan one day up the Shanghai River."

"Had a bag of dollars with him? The two Johns tried to lay him out, an' he up-ended one of 'em?"

"Yes, that's right. Remember me now?"

"W'y, blawst me but you 'as the cut of his jib; but—he weren't on the lower deck, mate. That blighted josser was a reg'lar copper-bottomed swell, an' took 'is chow with old Typhoon."

"Well, my name's Jack Derringer."