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 over for inspection. "Dad specially told me to take care of them."

"They certainly are too good to lose. Have you been at sea long?"

"Only a few months," the boy explained. "I wanted to get back to America, but this doesn't look much like it, does it?"

"It's quite a step, so to speak, from here to New York," agreed Tempest, filling his pipe with strong black tobacco and balancing himself precariously on the two back legs of the chair again. "Did you come all the way on that little steamer?"

Dave recounted his adventures, which seemed to interest his companion, who asked several questions which showed that he had an intimate knowledge of ships.

"Have you been a sailor?" the boy asked.

"Sometimes," Tempest replied. "I 've knocked about the world a bit before the mast, though I'm willing to admit it is more comfortable in the