"Interest? I should think I do, sir. I'm a regular Columbus, Marco Polo, and Captain Cook rolled up into one. Only just wish I'd a dozen smart chaps instead of only one. I'd go off in a boat, capture that brig, and sail right away." "To be followed, caught, and put in prison for piracy," said Brace, smiling contemptuously. "Eh?" said the American. "Yes, I suppose that's about the size of it." "Ship ahoy, there! What cheer, oh? Morning, sir," came from the brig, and Captain Banes, who had just come on deck, took off his hat and waved it, but stopped suddenly as he made out who was Brace Leigh's companion. "Morning, skipper!" cried the latter. "Morning, sir, morning," shouted the captain gruffly, and then, turning sharply round, he began to give orders to the crew, which were immediately followed by sounds of holystone upon the already white boards, and splashing of water as buckets came over the side and were hauled up again. "Don't seem as if he's going to ask us aboard," said the American. "No," replied Brace, smiling. "Which way are you going, sir, because I am going to stroll along by those sugar-warehouses and back to the hotel on the other side." "That's just my way; so I'll walk with you. Ah, here's the sun. Going to be another stinging hot day." "It's hot already," said Brace, whose cheeks were beginning to tingle at the man's persistency. "Yes, it is hot, and--I say, ain't that your brother coming this way?" "Yes," said Brace eagerly, and he uttered a sigh of relief as he felt that an unpleasant business would be brought to an end at once. He soon saw that there was a frown on his brother's brow, and Sir Humphrey's voice told plainly what he felt upon the stranger attacking him at once about the business he had in hand. He heard him courteously to the end, and then, with a few words of sympathy for the disappointment he was causing, plainly told the applicant that his proposal was quite out of the question. "Humph!" said the American. "Well, I don't like it, mister. I've come all this way to go up one of these rivers, and I don't mean to be put off. They're as free for me as for you." "Quite so," said Sir Humphrey, "and you will go your way while I go mine." "Ye-e-es, but it seems a pity. I like you two gentlemen, and I don't think you'd find much harm in me." "I have nothing against you, Mr--Mr--" "Don't you mind about the `mister.' My name's P Franklyn Briscoe, squire, and I should like to be friends with you." "So you shall be," said Sir Humphrey, smiling, "for I promise you I will not quarrel." "Then you'll make a bargain of it?" cried the American eagerly. "Decidedly not, Mr Briscoe," said Sir Humphrey firmly. "Make up an expedition of your own, sir: and I wish, you success." "But we should do so much better, squire, if we joined hands." "Possibly, sir, but I must decline to enter into any kind of partnership." "With a stranger, eh?"