“I know. I’ve had my eye on yer, my lad. But let’s have the truth. You come over to meet these chaps from the boats lying off there.”
“Not I. If you must know, I’ve come over to fetch some paper for my uncle.”
“And what else, my lad?”
“Nothing else,” cried Aleck; “but I don’t know what right you have to question me.”
“You soon will, my lad. You say you’re not with these folk. Why, I saw you talking for ever so long to the chaps in the boat that come ashore to lie there by the harbour wall, and afore it had been there long you come into port and run your boat close alongside.”
“Of course I did, to get up to the steps and land. Look here; what are you thinking about?”
“Well,” said the man, fiercely, “if you want to know over again what you knew before, I’m just going to tell you, so as to let you see that I’m not such a fool as you take me for, and also to let you know that I can see right through you, clever as you think yourself.”
“Go on,” said Aleck. “Let’s have it all then.”
“Well, here you are, my lad. I s’pose you know that’s a man-o’-war sloop?”
“Yes, I know that, Eben.”