“Albert's goin' to take hold here with us in the office,” went on Captain Lote. “You'll remember I spoke to you about that when we talked about his comin'. Al, Labe--Mr. Keeler here--will start you in larnin' to bookkeep. He'll be your first mate from now on. Don't forget you're a fo'mast hand yet awhile and the way for a fo'mast hand to get ahead is to obey orders. And don't,” he added, with a quiet chuckle, “do any play-actin' or poetry-makin' when it's your watch on deck. Laban nor I ain't very strong for play-actin', are we, Labe?”
Laban, to whom the reference was anything but clear, replied rather vaguely that he didn't know as he was, very. Albert's temper flared up again. His grandfather was sneering at him once more; he was always sneering at him. All right, let him sneer--now. Some day he would be shown. He scowled and turned away. And Captain Zelotes, noticing the scowl, was reminded of a scowl he had seen upon the face of a Spanish opera singer some twenty years before. He did not like to be reminded of that man.
He went out soon afterward and then Laban, turning to Albert, asked a few questions.
“How do you think you're goin' to like South Harniss, Ansel?” he asked.
Albert was tempted to reply that he, Keeler, had asked him that very question before, but he thought it best not to do so.
“I don't know yet,” he answered, carelessly. “Well enough, I guess.”
“You'll like it fust-rate bimeby. Everybody does when they get used to it. Takes some time to get used to a place, don't you know it does, Ansel?”
“Eh? Yes, yes, so 'tis. Yes, yes, yes. I don't know why I called you Ansel, 'less 'twas on account of my knowin' an Ansel Olsen once . . . Hum . . . Yes, yes. Well, you'll like South Harniss when you get used to it.”
The boy did not answer. He was of the opinion that he should die long before the getting used process was completed. Mr. Keeler continued.
“Come on yesterday's train, did you?” he asked.
Albert looked at him. Was the fellow joking? He did not look as if he was.
“Why no,” he replied. “I came last Monday night. Don't you remember?”
“Eh? Oh, yes . . . Yes, yes, yes . . . Last Monday night you come, eh? On the night train, eh?” He hesitated a moment and then asked. “Cap'n Lote fetch you down from the depot?”