Mr. Stobell scratched his head in gloomy perplexity: then, as his gaze fell upon the smiling countenances of Mr. Todd's fellow-townsmen, his face cleared. "He's an old man," he said, slowly, "but if any of you would like to step outside with me for five minutes, you've only got to say the word, you know." Nobody manifesting any signs of accepting this offer, he turned away and took a seat by the side of the indignant Tredgold. Mr. Todd, after a final outburst, began to feel exhausted, and forsaking his prey with much reluctance allowed himself to be led away. Snatches of a strong and copious benediction, only partly mellowed by distance, fell upon the ears of the listeners. "Did you offer him the seventy?" inquired Captain Brisket, turning to Mr. Tredgold. "_I_ did," said Mr. Chalk, plaintively. "Ah," said the captain, regarding him thoughtfully; "perhaps you ought to ha' made it eighty. He's asking eight hundred for it, I understand." Mr. Tredgold turned sharply. "Eight hundred?" he gasped. The captain nodded, "And I'm not saying it's not worth it," he said, "but I might be able to get it for you for six. You'd better leave it to me now." Mr. Tredgold at first said he would have nothing more to do with it, but under the softening influence of a pipe and a glass was induced to reconsider his decision. Captain Brisket, waving farewells from the quay as they embarked on the ferry-boat later on in the afternoon, bore in his pocket the cards of all three gentlemen, together with a commission entrusting him with the preliminary negotiations for the purchase of the _Fair Emily_. [Illustration: "CAPTAIN BRISKET WAVING FAREWELLS FROM THE QUAY AS THEY EMBARKED."] (_To be continued._) FOOTNOTES: [A] Copyright, 1904, by W. W. Jacobs, in the United States of America. The ATLANTIC RIVER BY JULIAN DRAKE. [In April of last year the steamer _Miosen_, from Christiania, sailed from New Orleans. Owing to a damaged tail-shaft off Key West she practically drifted from the Straits of Florida to the Färöe Islands. From the captain's notes the following account of the Gulf Stream voyage is transcribed.] What is the greatest river in the world? Naturally every Kindergarten pupil would instantly respond by naming the Mississippi, with the Amazon a good second. But that is because they are deceived by geographers jealous of the prerogative of the land. Hydrographers--as, for example, Sir John Murray, K.C.B.--would return a different answer, and it is clear that hydrographers ought to know something about water.