Page:Dave Porter on Cave Island.djvu/178

164 answering questions, the captain of the ship came up.

"Very glad indeed to see you again," said Captain Sanders, with a broad smile. He looked closely at the boys. "Grown some since I saw you last."

"And you have advanced, too," answered Dave, with a grin. "Let me congratulate you on becoming a captain, Mr. Sanders."

"It's all through the kindness of Mr. Lawrence and Captain Marshall. If it wasn't for them, I shouldn't be in this berth."

"How is Captain Marshall?" asked our hero. The man mentioned was the commander of the ship in which Dave had sailed to the South Seas.

"First-rate, the last I heard of him. He sailed from San Francisco to Manila ten days ago."

"Captain Sanders, what port are you bound for next?" questioned Phil, after greetings had been exchanged all around and a number of other questions had been asked.

"No port as yet, Phil. I'm waiting for orders."

"Have you any idea where you may go to?"

"Something was said about a cargo for Porto Rico. But nothing was settled. I'll know in a couple of days, I think."

"Do any of our ships ever sail to Barbados?"

"Not very often. I could have had a cargo