The other looked him over critically. “I’m looking for a hand—an able seaman—and I’m Glasgow bound. Ever been to sea before?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Show me your discharges.”
“Haven’t got any,” said Donald, slightly flustered.
“What ships were you serving in?”
“I made a voyage from the Old Country to the Pacific Coast in a barque, and from Victoria, B.C., to Halifax in a schooner. I’ve been fishing on a Banker for the past four months.”
The captain looked at him narrowly. “You’re Scotch, eh? What barque were you in, and what did you do aboard her?”
“Never mind the name of the ship, sir, but I was serving my time—”
The other grunted. “Huh! Runaway apprentice, I guess, eh?”
Donald laughed, and after a pause he said, “The skipper of the schooner I came around the Horn in is in Halifax now. He’ll vouch for me.”