"He's young," he mutters. "Looks smart, though . . . You're smart and
willing (this to me very sudden and loud) and all that, aren't you?"
"I just managed to open and shut my mouth, no more, being taken unawares.
But it was enough for him. He made as if I had deafened him with
protestations of my smartness and willingness.
"Of course, of course. All right." And then turning to the Shipping
Master who sat there swinging his leg, he said that he certainly couldn't
go to sea without a second officer. I stood by as if all these things
were happening to some other chap whom I was seeing through with it. Mr.
Powell stared at me with those shining eyes of his. But that bothered
skipper turns upon me again as though he wanted to snap my head off.
"You aren't too big to be told how to do things--are you? You've a lot
to learn yet though you mayn't think so."
"I had half a mind to save my dignity by telling him that if it was my
seamanship he was alluding to I wanted him to understand that a fellow
who had survived being turned inside out for an hour and a half by
Captain R- was equal to any demand his old ship was likely to make on his
competence.
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