Here then was a fortunate opportunity! We asked at once where we could find the captain.
He was in the bar-room of the inn. We entered it and found him there, standing with his back to the fire and a coat-tail under each arm. He was a big fat man, with a savage expression of countenance, and ragged head and beard, and a red nose.
“Sir,” said Jack, “we wish to ship with you.”
The captain stared, took a pencil-case out of his pocket, picked his teeth therewith, and surveyed us from head to foot.
“Oh, you do, do you? You wish to ship with me?”
“Yes.”
“Suppose I don’t want you.”
“Then we shall have to try elsewhere.”
The captain smiled grimly, shut up the pencil-case, and said—