“I know, I know. But if you really want to thank me, you must tell me all about it some day. If things hadn’t been coming so fast my own way I should have lain awake nights guessing about you. If I could have picked out one man I wanted on this trip with me I’d have taken a chance on you. The way you stood off that crowd made a hit with me. I don’t know what 140 sort of a deal you’ve made with Stubbs, but I’ll make one of my own with you after dinner. Now about the others. No shanghaiing, was there, Stubbs? Every man knows where he’s going and what he’s hired for?”
“They will afore they’re through.”
Danbury’s face darkened.
“I’m afraid you’ve been overzealous. I won’t have a man on board against his will, if I have to sail back to port with him. But once he’s decided for himself,––I’ll be damned if he turns yellow safely.”
“Ye’ve gotter remember,” said Stubbs, “that they’re a pack er liars, every mother’s son of ’em. Maybe they’ll say they was shanghaied; maybe they won’t. But I’ve got fifty papers to show they’re liars ’cause they’ve put their names to th’ bottom of every paper.”
“And they were sober when they did it?”
“I ain’t been lookin’ arter their morals or their personal habits,” replied Stubbs, with some disgust. “As fer their turnin’ yeller––mos’ men are yeller until they are afraid not ter be.”
“I don’t believe it. I don’t believe it,––not Americans. And that’s one thing I insisted upon,––they are all Americans?”
“Every mother’s son of ’em swore they was. Not bein’ present at their birth–––”
“Well, we’ll look ’em over to-morrow and I’ll have a talk with them. I’m going to put it up to them squarely––good pay for good fighters. By the Lord, 141 Stubbs, I can’t realize yet that we’re actually on the way. Think of it,––in less than a month we’ll be at it!”