"American, sir."
"That means nothing, what were your people?"
"Straight English on my mother's side ... Pennsylvania Dutch on my father's."
"What a mixture!"
He began walking up and down in seaman fashion. After spending several minutes in silence I ventured to speak to him again.
"Do you think you could use me, sir?"
He swung on me abruptly.
"In what capacity?"
"As anything ... I'm willing to go as able seaman before the mast, if necessary."
He stopped and looked me over and laughed explosively.