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 The delicate spirit in which the gift was made pleased Dave even more than the watch.

"Thanks, Cap'n," he said. "I 'll always be proud of that watch."

"An' if ever you come back to Sydney and want a job," said the skipper, "don't forget to look up Lightning Grummitt. If I have n't got room on board for you, I 'll make room, see?" The captain of the Manihiki was a middle-aged man named Peters, whom Tempest had met before, and neither Dave nor his friend had any difficulty in joining the ship. The Manihiki was no flyer. She had been built for her own particular trade, and did not draw too much water, so that she could be navigated in places where the captain had to rely more on common sense and experience than charts, for those who engage in trading with the islands must pick their way gingerly between treacherous reefs, often gaging the depth of the water by its color only. Usually, the Manihiki jogged along at a comfortable ten or