“Well, he’s not for sale, my friend. I need him out on the old farm in Illinois, where I come from.” The man stroked his chin while he regarded Tom reflectively. “I’m looking for a young and able seaman, for to tell you the truth, I don’t know much about salt water. I provide the grub and the boat and whatever else is needed, and the sailorman provides the lore of the sea.”
Tom’s interest was aroused. If this stranger really wanted a sailor to help him with a boat it seemed odd that he should be seeking information from a young fellow lounging on a gate in one of the quiet, elm-shaded streets of Barmouth. It would have been much more natural to look for such information along the waterfront, at some of the docks or piers. “Why don’t you hunt up one of the captains?” Tom suggested. “They might know just the man for you.”
“I don’t want a man,” was the answer. “I want a likely young fellow, someone about your age and general cut of jib—that’s the right seafaring expression, isn’t it? I’ve got an adventure on hand, and I want company. I wouldn’t mind two, or even three, young fellows, if they were the right kind.”
An adventure! Tom pricked up his ears. The man was certainly interesting, he would like to know more about him. “Where are you going to sail, and how long would you be away?” he questioned.
“My cruise will probably be limited to the islands in Barmouth Harbor, and we’d be away anywhere from a week to a month.”
“Well,” began Tom, “I don’t know——”
“Neither do I,” said the stranger, with a grin. “There are a number of things I don’t know about this adventure. But then the main point about an adventure is that we can’t tell everything about it in advance. Isn’t that so?”
“I suppose it is,” Tom granted. And after a moment’s thought he added, “I know my way round the harbor pretty well, and I can sail a dory, and I’ve got a couple of friends——”
“Fine!” declared the man. “Do you know, it may seem odd to you, but as I came along the street and my eyes lighted on you, I said to myself, ‘that’s precisely the type of messmate I’m looking for; an upstanding fellow, with a good head on his shoulders.’”
Naturally Tom felt pleased. He straightened up and stuck his hands in his pockets. “The only thing I don’t understand,” he said, “is how you expect to find a real adventure in the harbor. Of course we could cruise around, and fish and swim. Is that what you had in mind?”