“Yes. Well, the Skipper was layin’ down the law to big Jerry, and you could hear him the length of the dock. He was sayin’, ‘I told him we’d leave at nine o’clock, and it’s quarter-past now, and I told him above all the others, knowin’ his failin’. He knows me, and he oughter know that when I say nine o’clock that ’tis nine o’clock I mean, and not ten, or eleven, or two in the afternoon; and we’ve been in two nights now, and he’s had plenty o’ time to loosen up since.” “‘That’s right enough, Skipper,’ says Jerry. ‘I heard you myself, and I said myself, “Now, mind, Bartley, what the Skipper’s tellin’ you.” But you see, Skipper, it was a weddin’ last night, and a wake the night before----’ “‘A wake and a weddin’! And whose weddin’--his?’ roars the Skipper. “‘Why, no,’ says Jerry. “‘Was it his wake, then?’ “‘Why, Skipper, don’t you know it couldn’t been his wake?’ “‘Not his wake and not his weddin’? Then what the divil reason has he?’ “‘Why,’ said Jerry, ‘I ain’t sayin’ he’s got any good reason. But you know what he thinks of you and of the vessel. He’s been in the _Colleen_ ever since she was built, and he’s a fisherman--a fisherman, Skipper, stem to stern a fisherman--and he knows your ways and the vessel’s ways,’ says Jerry. “‘Indeed, and I’m not sure he knows my ways too well,’ says the Skipper. ‘It’s so proud he should be to sail in the _Colleen Bawn_, the fastest, ablest vessel out of Gloucester, if I do say it myself, that-- But no more talk. To the divil with him. There’s the dory--jump in and go aboard.’ “‘But what’ll I do for a dory-mate?’ says Jerry. “‘Oh, I’ll get you a dory-mate. When we put into Boston for bait there’ll be plenty to pick up on T wharf.’ “Well, just there I nudges the little lumper, and he sets his jaws and steps up: ‘Captain, could you give me a chance? I’d like to ship with you for a trip.’ “The Skipper looks down at him. ‘And who are you?’ “And right away he begins to tell his troubles to the Skipper, and the Skipper--you know the Skipper--listens like a father. But he near spoiled it all by windin’ up, ‘Oh, I’ve been workin’ around the dock lately, but I used to be quartermaster on a harbor steamer in Boston one time,’ to let the Skipper know he wouldn’t have a passenger on his hands. “The Skipper looks him up and looks him down. ‘Quartermaster on a harbor steamer once, was you? Think of that, now. It’s the proud man you oughter be! And about as big as a pair of good woolen mitts! But’--and he looks over at Jerry sideways--‘you’ll have a mate that’s big enough. Jerry,’ and he begins to smile sly-like, ‘Jerry, here’s the dory-mate you’ve been screechin’ for.’ “‘What!’ howls Jerry, ‘him--him! Why, I could slip him into one of my red-jacks. That little shrimp! A shrimp? No--a minim!’ “It was scandalous, of course, to speak out like that to the little man to his face, but Jerry and Bartley were great friends, you see; and Jerry’d kept on, but the Skipper puts an end to it quick, and we went aboard.