I knew he had been thinking of how I’d go in the small boat with Miss Waters, and it was none of his business. That and the hot morning made me quarrelsome. At the same time I had no intention of coming down off the quarter-deck, at least at his invitation. The steward was bringing the breakfast aft, and I had a means of evading the issue. “You think too much and work too little, O’Toole,” I said, starting for the forward cabin in the wake of the meal. “Go to th’ divil,” said the officer, and he whisked a match along the seat of his trousers and relit his pipe. Brown had shaved and looked clean when he appeared at the table. I felt he had no business there, for it is always the third mate’s place to eat with the carpenter, steward, and the rest. I never like special arrangements for officers with a pull. The two ladies and Captain Crojack came in from the after cabin, Miss Waters dressed in a white muslin frock which fitted her splendid figure and made her bare arms and throat look all the whiter. Crojack had put on a clean duck suit, and took his seat with a quizzical look along his table. “It’s a good thing to have passengers aboard ship at times,” said he, “for it calls forth the razor and brush. I remember the time when I could hardly tell who was who aboard this ship, for the matted hair and beards which hid the faces of the mates. That steak looks good. It won’t hurt you to eat as much as you can. The ‘doctor’ boiled a piece of silver with a chunk of the turtle meat, and it was as bright as glass after he was through. Turns black--jet-black--if the fish or turtle meat is poisonous. I’ve eaten dolphin boiled with a silver dollar and had it blacken. It broke out in boils all over me within two days.” “The dollar?” I asked, with some concern. Crojack looked at me askance. He was not aware of my humour, but was a bit suspicious. “No, the dolphin,” he said, slowly. Miss Waters smiled, but Brown looked hard into his plate. “I once knew a man,” I ventured, “who had figures of women--and ships--all over his body. They were tattooed on him, to be sure, but I don’t quite call to mind ever having seen a man with ‘dolphins.’” “There are so many things a young fellow of your age hasn’t seen, it would tire one out to tell of them,” said the skipper, good-humouredly. “Better have another piece of turtle.” I took it and ate doggedly, while the old man held forth upon the evils of fresh pork in the tropics. However, in spite of the heat and mugginess of the air, Miss Waters managed to get her own way. Crojack allowed her to go with the boat to the _Countess of Warwick_. The English ship lay motionless and at a distance which put the skipper in a better humour. He would not go himself, especially after seeing what manner of man her captain had shown himself, but I went with two men and Miss Waters, taking half the turtle along with us, some old American papers and magazines, and some bottled beer.