Hansen himself came toddling down the wharf. He was an old man with a rheumatic walk and a stubbly, unshaven chin stained with tobacco juice. A goodly sized "chaw" bulged in his withered cheek.
"Can you repair our boat quickly?" asked Jack, pointing to the hole.
Old Hansen shot a jet of tobacco juice in the direction of the injury.
"Bustitupconsiderable," he remarked.
"What's that?" demanded Billy. "Doesn't he talk English?" and he turned an inquiring glance at Captain Simms, who laughed.
"That's just his way of talking when he's got a mouthful of what he calls 'eatin' tobacco.' He said, 'he is of the opinion that your boat is bust up considerable.'"
"Well, we don't need an expert to tell us that," laughed Jack.
"Doyouwantmetofixit?" inquired the eccentric old man, still running his words together in the same odd way.
"Yes," replied Jack, "can we have her by to-morrow?"
"Haveterseehowbadlyshesbusted," muttered the old man.