“That’s so, sir,” was the reply, “and about that venture of yours. You take my advice, now, and just go from port to port with me, and you can buy all you want for a few dollars; and that’ll be better than going up country and catching fevers. There’s lots o’ bird-skins to be bought.”
Uncle Dick laughed good-humouredly.
“Why, captain,” he said, “I might just as well have stopped in London and bought a few bird-skins down by the docks.”
“A deal better, doctor. You don’t know what you’re cutting out for yourself.”
“We should come off badly for natural history specimens, captain, if people followed your advice.”
“Quite well enough, doctor. I don’t see much good in stuffed birds.”
“Ah, well, captain,” said my uncle, “we will not argue about that. You land us and our boat where I said.”
“Do you know what sort of a place it is, sir?”
“Pretty well,” replied my uncle. “I shall know better when we reach it.”
“All right, sir. You’re my passenger, and I’ll keep to my bargain. But don’t you blame me if anything goes wrong.”