“Wal, I’ll tell you all about it,” said Bailey.
“I’ll begin at the beginnin. Wal, you see, about five weeks ago I shipped aboard the Petrel, at Quebec—”
“The what?” cried Arthur and Tom, in the greatest wonder and excitement.
“The ship Petrel,” said Bailey. “Why, what of her?”
“The Petrel!” cried Arthur. “What, the ship Petrel, of Liverpool-?”
“That there’s the identical craft.”
“And—and—and,” stammered Tom, in his excitement, “was—was her captain’s name Henry Hall? and—and was she loaded with timber?”
“And didn’t she get water-logged?” said Arthur.
“Yes, and didn’t the captain and crew all leave her?”
Bailey stared at the boys with astonishment fully equal to their own.