“The fog? I jest do the best I kin. Any ways, I don’t see what use a sexton would be in a fog, nor a quadruped nuther. Then them sort o’ con-sarns have to be worked by the sun. So, you see, they’re no manner o’ use in these here waters, nor in no waters at all. People git along jest as well without ’em. Why, here am I, an’ I bin sailin’ this forty year, an’ never tetched a sexton nor a quadruped; and me bin all the way to Bosting. Besides, did Noah make his vyge in the Ark with a quadruped? No, _sir_. Did Solomon have one in the ship that he sailed to Ophir? Agin I say, no, _sir_. So I conclude that what the prophets, an’ patriarchs, an’ wise men of old,--an’ a darn sight better men than sea captains are as they go these times;--what they did without, we can do without.” “But you have a compass?” “Course I have.” “They didn’t have a compass in those days.” “Yes, they did.” “Excuse me--they didn’t have anything of the kind.” “Excuse _me_, young sir,--bein’ a man old enough, to be your feyther, an’ a seafarin’ man, too, an’, what’s more, a man that reads his Bible,--but they did.” “I should like to know how you make that out.” “Did you ever read Acts?” “Of course.” “Did you ever happen to hear tell of the vygo of the ‘postle Paul, young sir?” “Yes; but what’s that got to do with it? You don’t mean to say that he had a compass.” “That’s the very pint that I’m a drivin’ at.” “What! that the apostle Paul had a compass?” “Course he had.” “Why, the compass wasn’t known till the fourteenth century. Flavio Gioja, of Amalfi, is the one that they say invented it.” “So that’s what they teach you over there at the Academy--is it?” said Captain Corbet with a look that would have been one of scorn if it hadn’t been so full of pity. “So that’s what they teach--is it? Wal! wall wal! If I ever! I never did! However, I’ll show you at once what’s the wuth, the terew wuth, of your lamin’, when it’s put fair an’ square in opposition to facts. Look here now, an’ listen, an’ don’t forget. In the account of that vyge, it says distindtly, ‘So we fetched-a compass.’ What have you got to say to that, now? hey?” And Captain Corbet drew himself up, and watched the effect of this startling piece of intelligence. [Illustration: 0293] Upon Bart the effect was instantaneous, though not of the kind which Captain Corbet expected. A light broke in upon his mind, and a smile burst forth, and spread like sunshine over his lately puzzled face. He said nothing for some time, but looked away so as to take in the full flavor of what he considered so good a thing.