"Thankye, my lad, thankye," said the captain, clapping the young fellow on the shoulder. "That's honest, for your eyes say it as well as your lips. But you're a pretty sort of fellow to drive a bargain! Why, you're asking me to raise my terms because you want me. That's not business." "Never mind about that, captain," said Sir Humphrey, smiling. "Hullo, what's the matter?" "I want to go and ask that tall thin yellow chap what he means by spying round this table and trying to hear what we're talking about." "Let the man alone, captain, and take my advice. Don't quarrel with strangers in a foreign port." "Advice taken, sir, and paid for," said the captain, stretching out a big brown hairy hand and gripping Sir Humphrey's firmly. "Quite right. Thankye, sir. I like you better for that than I did ten minutes ago. You make me feel half sorry that I can't come to terms with you. You want too much." "No, he doesn't," cried Brace warmly. "We want you." "But I'm not the sort of man for you at all, gentlemen." "A man does not know himself so well as others know him," said Sir Humphrey, smiling. "Captain Banes, I shall be sorry if we do not come to terms, for I believe we should soon become firm friends." "Well, I've some such idea as that, gentlemen," said the captain. "Think it over for a couple of days, Captain Banes," said Sir Humphrey. "I will wait till then." "Nay," said the captain firmly; "a man wants to be careful, but he doesn't want two days to go shilly-shallying over such a thing as this; and if you gentlemen think that you can trust me--" "There's my hand," said Sir Humphrey. "And mine," said Brace, eagerly holding out his. "And there are mine, gentlemen," said the captain bluffly; "if you think I'm your man, your man I am, and I'll stick to you both through thick and thin." CHAPTER THREE. THE PUSHING STRANGER. Wise people say that one ought to get up very early in the morning, and that it makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. It is a matter to be settled to a great extent by climate, and Brace Leigh wanted no urging to hurry out of--or, rather, off from his--bed just as the stars were beginning to pale, and open his window more widely, to breathe in the comparatively cool air. His first thought was, of course, a bath or a plunge into the river for a swim. But the latter was not to be thought of, for more than one reason. Mud was one, but that might have been borne; another reason was that certain loathsome lizardy creatures lurked about in those waters on the look-out for food. It a pity, for the hotel was rather a primitive place, and did not boast a bath-room, nor even a good tub or a large basin, and the young fellow had to sigh and make believe with a sponge before dressing hurriedly and going out to wait for the sun's rising and the first notes of the birds.