But word had come via Juarez, who of all the crew was the only one whom the engineer admitted into his confidence to any degree, that John Berwick had really a most interesting career. This was true to a far greater extent than the boys knew. A sailor like old Pete or a mariner like Captain Kerns would see the shores of many countries and land in numerous ports, but learn nothing of the real people, or the nature of the countries.
But with the engineer it had been an entirely different proposition. He came of a good family and had received an excellent education, but from his youth he had been wild and adventurous, and was always traveling, by different ways and in varying occupations, going into the interiors of little-known countries and becoming acquainted with the nature and character of their inhabitants.
As he is a man well worth knowing, I will describe his appearance for the benefit of the reader. As to age, John Berwick might be anywhere from thirty-five to forty years. In height, five feet nine, with rather square shoulders, and neither light nor heavy in build, but with a frame that indicated quickness and great powers of endurance.
He was evidently one of those men who have a certain care to their physical condition, without overdoing it and making physical prowess a hobby. He had found out the value of health, and condition. In his travels in remote lands, if he had gotten sick, there would be no one to bother with him, and he would be left to die, so he reasoned that it was better to be a live man than something more wretched than a sick dog.
“I used to smoke like a chimney, Ezac,” he once said to Juarez. He never called the latter by his full name, it being either “War” or “Ezac,” according to his mood, “but I quit about five years ago. I didn’t make any resolution about it either and would smoke now if I wished to.”
“I suppose you felt miserable for a while after you quit?” said Juarez.
“No, strange to say, I didn’t. In fact, I began to feel fine and fit in a week or two and I found that I could meet any crisis that came up on the level, and did not have to make an effort of the will to step up to it and brace myself to it as I used to. But I’m not preaching. Smoke if you want to, Ezac.”
“I don’t want to,” replied Juarez, “and what’s the use of taking up with something you don’t care for? Just so much extra baggage.” Berwick smiled at this, showing his fine white teeth.
“Well, now, ‘War,’ that’s unusual sense for a kid, I must say. The fact that you don’t want a thing for a boy of your years is no argument. It may be smoking or chewing or something else that will make ’em devilish sick, but a kid will do it just for a show and to make an impression on his friends what a terrible character he is.”