Page:Cornelia Meigs--The island of Appledore.djvu/61

Rh Johann’s boat,” he said. “There was no storm nor any accident, and he certainly kept her  in such good order that there was no chance  of her having sprung a leak without his knowing it. The poor fellow surely loved her; he seems broken-hearted whenever you talk to  him about her sinking, but he doesn’t do a  thing to try to raise her. I don’t understand it.”

It had seemed very strange to Billy also, especially in the light of what he had seen  that day upon the shore. He made no comment now, however; indeed he had scarcely been listening, but had let his wandering wits  take a sudden jump in the direction of quite  different matters. When the old man had finished speaking he put a question that, had he known more of the ways of the sea and of  sailor men, he would never have dared to ask.

“Captain Saulsby,” he said, “what were you captain of? Was it in the Navy or just of the Josephine?”

“Bless you, no; not in the Navy or of the Josephine, either,” replied his friend. “The Josephine was the first ship I ever sailed on  when I was an apprentice boy, and the cap-