“It has occurred to me that there would not be much pleasure in yachting it around Cape Horn, or even through the Straits of Magellan. To come to the point, I have been considering whether to burn the Oxford or sink her in deep water.” “It would be a pity to burn or sink her; you could do better than that by giving her away,” suggested Louis, laughing at the apparent desperation of the British millionaire. “Give her away!” exclaimed he, springing to his feet as though the new idea overwhelmed him. “By the great and moist Neptune I never thought of that! Isn’t it strange how stupid a fellow can be when he gets into a difficult situation?” “It seems to me that presenting her to some friend would be a more comfortable way of getting rid of her than sinking or burning her,” said Louis, amused, but not greatly impressed by the conduct of his British prototype. “You are right, my dear friend; and I am under a thousand obligations to you for solving this knotty problem for me. Now, Mr. Belgrave, would you do me just one additional favor, and then be entitled to my everlasting gratitude?” And Fobbington looked at him with an earnestness which seemed to indicate that he was desperately in need of further assistance in getting rid of the Oxford. “I should be very glad to do anything I can to aid you,” replied Louis. “I knew you would. Then do me the very great favor to accept the Oxford as my free gift!” exclaimed the owner, grasping both of his new friend’s hands, and with a pleading expression on his face. “Excuse me, but I cannot do that,” protested Louis. “You may not be aware of it, but I have an income, and I am distressed to find the means to spend it.” “Poor fellow!” But Fobbington evidently believed that Louis had borrowed this idea from him. “But after I have looked at her, I may be willing to buy the Oxford.” “Then you shall see her at once,” added Mr. Fobbington. CHAPTER IV THE PARTY THAT WENT TO SOUTHFIELD Mr. Fobbington would still be happy to present the Oxford to his new friend; but confronting the difficulty of spending his income, he sympathized with him, and would not insist upon making the vessel an entirely free gift. They would compromise the matter by making it a sale, a merely nominal sale. Louis must not insist upon paying him too large a price for the craft, and the young millionaire promised not to be very hard upon him in this respect. “Though it is, of course, a matter of no consequence to me, I should like to ask, out of mere curiosity, at what figure you value the Oxford,” said Louis, after they had compromised the principal difficulty of the situation. “She cost me in Scotland, where I bought her, thirty-one hundred pounds, or about fifteen thousand dollars; but, as a matter of mere form, I am going to sell her to you for ten thousand,” replied Mr. Fobbington very graciously. “You must really indulge me in taking off five thousand from what she cost me. I think that will be a fair compromise.”