The sea-going canine appeared to understand, for it relinquished its scrutiny of Ned and came over to its master.
"Inter drydock with you, you flea-chawed stepson of a coyote," grunted the man, and then he was free to turn his attention to Ned.
"Hello!" he grunted gruffly. "How yer feelin'?"
"Pretty good, thanks," responded Ned. "I guess it's you I have to thank for saving me from the Sound last night, for I see by the sun that its near noon of another day."
"'Tis that. We lost a lot of time down ther East River. It's gittin' so that tugs clutters up the river worser nor taxicabs does the streets. But we come down under sail. No fifteen dollars down fer me, thank you."
He looked oddly at Ned from under his bushy eyebrows.
"Can you anyways recall jes' what happened las' night?" he asked presently.
Ned shook his head.
"I've not the least idea," he said. "All I know is that something cut our motor boat in two and then everything got dark. By the bump I've got on my head, I imagine something hit me. But there were two other men in the boat with me. Do you know anything about them?"