Page:Ballinger Price--Fortune of the Indies.djvu/108

 different from the 'Captain Ingram' of Chinese waters. That's neither here nor there. The point is that I've written to my firm in Shanghai, and they will be all ready to help Mark and Alan in every way."

"Mark and Alan!" The voices which repeated the names were rather blank.

"Yes, when they go out to attend to the matter."

"Mark and Alan go to China?" Miss Ellen had risen. "O Mr. Bolliver, that's impossible. They're only children—and besides, traveling—the expense—"

"That's the least part," Mr. Bolliver said, casting an eye at the boys, who were wordlessly punching one another in a corner. "Your brother, Mark, went to sea when he was fourteen; he was commanding his own ship before he was twenty-one. This Mark is seventeen—going toward eighteen, isn't he? No school in summer, anyway. I can get berths—almost have 'em, in fact—wireless-man and oiler. Isn't that what I understood you wanted, boys? Casual merchant ship—New York to Shanghai—through the Canal—all over the place—lots of experience. An