Freddie continued to stare at him with increasing astonishment. "Are you a sailor, sir?" said he. "Wot, me? I'm Lemuel Mizzen, A.B., that's me, and I sail the deep blue sea from Maine to Afrikee, and round again on an even keel to Cochin China for cochineal, and back to Chili for Chili sauce, and home again to Banbury Cross--that's me! Lemuel Mizzen, able seaman! Fed on hard tack or soft tack, or a starboard tack or a port tack, it's all the same to me! Now then, skipper, you piped me up, wot's the orders?" "Please, sir," said Freddie, "would you mind telling me what it is you would like to have?" "_Me?_ Douse my binnacle light, wot I want is a chew o' terbacker; but the question before the chart-house is, wot do _you_ want, skipper?" "I don't want anything," said Freddie. "Wot? You piped me up, didn't you? Piped me up with a pipe?" "No, sir," said Freddie. "Sorry to entertain a different opinion from the skipper! Didn't you smoke the Chinaman's 'baccy, _in_ a pipe?" "Yes, sir," said Freddie, hanging his head. "Then you did pipe me up with a pipe, and I hope I knows better than to come aft without bein' piped. Didn't you know I've got to come when you smoke the pipe with the Chinaman's 'baccy in it?" "No, sir," said Freddie. The Able Seaman fixed his black eye on Freddie in amazement. "Well, bust my locker if this ain't the--Beggin' your pardon, skipper, and no offense meant! Called me off from the China Sea, and don't want me after all! Didn't go fer to do it, not him! And me off in the China Sea amongst the Boxers, a-v'yaging hither and thither to pick up a cargo o' boxes to box compasses with! Ye've brought me a fair long journey fer nothin', skipper!" [Illustration: "I'm Lemuel Mizzen, A.B., that's me!"] "I'm very sorry, sir," said Freddie, "I didn't know you had to come when the Chinaman's tobacco was smoked. Are you the one that brought that tobacco here?" "Ay, ay! That's me! Lemuel Mizzen, A.B.! And a fine long trip from the China Sea, to come to a lad in Amerikee when I hears in my ears the skipper's call, and all fer nothin' at all, at all! Ain't you got nothin' to offer in extenuation?" Freddie did not know what "extenuation" meant, but he could see by the Sailorman's face that that gentleman was a good deal put out. He remembered that Mr. Mizzen wanted a chew of tobacco. "Would a little tobacco make you feel better?" said he. "Now you've got yer hand on the right rope!" said the Able Seaman, his face brightening. "I don't smoke. I chew. If you're goin' to offer a bit of a chew, why then, says I, I don't care if I do." Freddie took a long plug of chewing tobacco from the shelf behind him. He knew that Mr. Toby would not mind making a little gift to the sailorman after his long journey. He put the plug under the cutter on the counter, and was about to press down the handle, to cut off a portion, when the Able Seaman hitched up his trousers and said: