"
"He's going to marry that yellow-headed Jezebel of Kybird's," said the
captain, staring at the fire.
Mr. Wilks murmured that he couldn't understand anybody liking yellow
hair, and, more than that, the general opinion of the ladies in Fullalove
Alley was that it was dyed.
"I'm going to ship him on the Seabird," continued the captain. "She'll
probably be away for a year or two, and, in the meantime, this girl will
probably marry somebody else. Especially if she doesn't know what has
become of him. He can't get into mischief aboard ship."
"No, sir," said the wondering Mr. Wilks. "Is Master Jack agreeable to
going, sir?"
"That's nothing to do with it," said the captain, sharply.
"No, sir," said Mr. Wilks, "o' course not. I was only a sort o'
wondering how he was going to be persuaded to go if 'e ain't."
"That's what I came here about," said the other. "I want you to go and
fix it up with Nathan Smith."
"Do you want 'im to be _crimped,_ sir?" stammered Mr. Wilks.
"I want him shipped aboard the _Seabird,_" returned the other, "and
Smith's the man to do it."
"It's a very hard thing to do in these days, sir," said Mr. Wilks,
shaking his head. "What with signing on aboard the day before the ship
sails, and before the Board o' Trade officers, I'm sure it's a wonder
that anybody goes to sea at all.
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