Edging slowly forward, he stood at last beside a big man who was leaning in the shadow of the forecastle.
"We meet sooner than you thought," he said in a low voice.
"Yea, for we were long on the road and entangled ourselves wonderfully among those byways and high-ways which cross the country in a manner perplexing beyond belief."
"Saw you your brother?"
"In all truth I saw him—and the Devil take him!"
The Old One laughed softly.
"It is plain thy brother hath little love for a shipwrecked mariner," quoth he, "yet there is a most memorable antiquity about the use of ships, and even greater gluttons than thy brother have supped light that worthy seamen might not go hungry to bed. We will speak of him another time. What think you of this pretty pup we have met by the way?—Ah, thine eye darkens! Methinks thou hast more than once felt the rough side of his tongue."
"He bears himself somewhat struttingly—" Martin hesitated, but added perforce, since he had received a friendly turn he could not soon forget, "yet he hath his good points."
"He was one too many for thee! Nay, confess it!"
"Th' art a filthy rascal!" Martin's face burned with anger.