“Like to join the wanigan crew permanently?”
“No, thanks,” returned Newmark drily.
“Well, stay with us as long as you're having a good time,” invited Orde heartily, but turning away from his rather uncommunicative visitor.
“Thank you,” Newmark acknowledged this, “I believe I will.”
“Well, Tommy,” called Orde across the fire to North, “I reckon we've got to rustle some more supplies. That shipwreck of ours to-day mighty near cleaned us out of some things. Lucky Charlie held his head and locked in the bedding with those sweeps, or we'd have been strapped.”
“I didn't do it,” grumbled Charlie. “It was him.”
“Oh!” Orde congratulated Newmark. “Good work! I'm tickled to death you belonged to that crew.”
“That old mossback Reed was right on deck with his rope,” remarked Johnny Simms. “That was pretty decent of him.”
“Old skunk!” growled North. “He lost us two days with his damn nonsense. You let him off too easy, Jack.”
“Oh, he's a poor old devil,” replied Orde easily. “He means well enough. That's the way the Lord made him. He can't help how he's made.”