Hi hum! you mustn't mind an old
salt runnin' on this way. I've been out of the pickle tub a good while,
but I cal'late the brine ain't all out of my system."
His guide's eyes snapped.
"I understand," he said, laughing. "I've never been at sea, on a long
voyage, in my life, but I can understand just how you feel. It's in
my blood, I guess. I come of a salt water line. My people were from
Belfast, Maine, and every man of them went to sea."
"Belfast, hey? They turned out some A No.1 sailors in Belfast. I sailed
under a Cap'n Pearson from there once--James Pearson, his name was."
"He was my great uncle. I was named for him. My name is James Pearson,
also."
"WHAT?" Captain Elisha was hugely delighted. "Mr. Pearson, shake hands.
I want to tell you that your Uncle Jim was a seaman of the kind you
dream about, but seldom meet. I was his second mate three v'yages. My
name's Elisha Warren."
Mr. Pearson shook hands and laughed, good-humoredly.
"Glad to meet you, Captain Warren," he said. "And I'm glad you knew
Uncle Jim. As a youngster, he was my idol. He could spin yarns that were
worth listening to."
"I bet you! He'd seen things wuth yarnin' about. So you ain't a sailor,
hey? Livin' in New York?"
The young man nodded. "Yes," he said.
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