"I ain't got no business here, suh."
"Then what are you here for?"
"Lookin' fer Ole Cap'n, suh."
"Ole Cap'n who?" said Grafton, mimicking.
"Cap'n Crittenden, suh."
"Well, if you are his servant, I suppose they won't throw you overboard. What's your name?"
"Bob, suh—Bob Crittenden."
"Crittenden," repeated Grafton, smiling. "Oh, yes, I know him; I should say so! So he's a Captain?"
"Yes, suh," said Bob, not quite sure whether he was lying or not.
Grafton spoke to an officer, and was allowed to take Bob for his own servant, though the officer said he did not remember any captain of that name in the —th. To the newspaper man, Bob was a godsend; for humour was scarce on board, and "jollying" Bob was a welcome diversion. He learned many things of Crittenden and the Crittendens, and what great people they had always been and still were; but at a certain point Bob was evasive or dumb—and the correspondent respected the servant's delicacy about family affairs and went no further along that line—he had no curiosity, and was questioning idly and for fun, but treated Bob kindly and, in return, the fat of the ship, through Bob's keen eye and quick hand, was his, thereafter, from day to day.