41 Lure O Gold 1904

"
A Heavy Trunk
"You find it
funny, after all," remarked Trust.
"Well, perhaps
it is. Ah, here s Fishley."
A stubby, sailor-looking fellow, with a singularly
sour face and greenish eyes, whom I had had pointed
out to me as the third officer, came forward.
"Mr.
Morning," said Trust, "let me introduce my
friend, Mr. Max Fishley."
The third mate held out a stumpy paw,
on the wrist
of which was a blue-and-red lady, with long hair, prob
ably intended for a mermaid.
"Glad to know you, Mr. Morning,"
he said, in a
voice that seemed not at all pleased.
I
had seen Fishley with Trust and Somers two or
three times before on the forward deck. It had seemed
to me that they had become very friendly on short ac
quaintance, though that is
nothing
remarkable aboard
a steamer, and particularly one like the Modesto, where
there appeared to be a certain laxity of discipline, which
even my unaccustomed eye did not fail to detect.
"
Want to hear the Humpbacked Whale ?
"
asked
the poet of the third officer.
"Yeh-ah," was the reply.
"It s a new one, ain t
it?"
Composed last night,"
said the poet, musingly,
[105]