“Don’t know,” observed George, doubtfully.
“Well, if he does want her, why doesn’t he come and get her? And what could he use her for? A coal cellar, or what? She’s abandoned, I tell you.”
“If you took her away from here, which you couldn’t do, anyway,” observed the younger boy, “you’d be committing ship theft.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s a dreadful offense, worse than piracy. I believe they hang you for it, or something.”
“I certainly don’t want you to get hanged,” said the captain. “Good mates are scarce; and they always hang the mate, because he’s engaged to make himself useful in little ways like that. But it wouldn’t be ship theft if I wrote a letter to this Mr. Farnham and got his permission, would it?”
“I suppose not.”
“Of course not. Where does he live?”
“My dad will have his address.”