"I consider it a very foolish thing, Captain, to——"
"What! Mr. Jones, do you know who you are speaking to, sir? This is mutiny, Mr. Jones, rank mutiny! Rank——"
"No, Captain," I answered calmly and slowly, "it is no mutiny. I must speak my mind. I can not understand your action, with pirates still roaming the high seas——"
"Yes, yes, high seas," broke in the Skipper; "but who ever dreamed of their coming so close to shore? Why, I've been sailing these waters now for seven years, since I gave up the Calcutta trade, and I never so much as saw a pirate craft. I've hugged the shore pretty close, it's true, and—— Pshaw, Mr. Jones, you're nervous! I recognise the signs. A man's always nervous when he's in love. I used to be; I——"
"I am not unnecessarily nervous," said I. "Your niece is a very beautiful young girl——"
"Do you think so?" said the Skipper in a surprised tone. "Why, do you know, Jones, I never thought her even good-looking. You should have seen her Aunt Mary 'Zekel at her age!"
"I regret my loss," I said. "But that's neither here nor there——"
"You are foolish, Jones! You imagine things."
"I suppose the loss of the Yankee and the balls of those pirates are all in my fancy."
"Good God! No! I wish they were. I can't say that," answered the Skipper, "but——"