"Oh, so the story is that I made off with Rossenbaum's ship?"
"You bet it is and there's a nice old shindy over it," answered the pilot. "Rossenbaum accused Solomon of having stolen his blooming steamer, and Solomon took his oath that you'd taken it unbeknownst to him."
"What you've told me explains a lot of things, Abott. The excellent Solomon's manoeuvres puzzled me from the start, but now I begin to see daylight. I'll have one or two little bones to pick with Isaac when I get ashore."
"Now, see here, skipper, jest you take my tip," said the other earnestly. "Don't put into Singapore. It ain't a healthy place for you, and that's a fact."
"Why not?"
"Why not! Well, you don't suppose a man can be accused of pinching some other party's ship and the authorities not say a word, do you?"
"You mean they're after me?"
"There's a warrant out for your arrest under the Piracy Act or something of that sort."
"H'm," grunted Calamity; "that's news."
"Now see here, skipper, we've known each other a tidy while, and you know I'm not the man to lead an old friend into a mess if I can help it. Take my advice and make for some other port; you may take your oath that I shan't say a word about having picked you up."