SHIP'S COMPANY

By W.W. Jacobs



THE OLD MAN OF THE SEA


"What I want you to do," said Mr. George Wright, as he leaned towards the
old sailor, "is to be an uncle to me."

"Aye, aye," said the mystified Mr. Kemp, pausing with a mug of beer
midway to his lips.

"A rich uncle," continued the young man, lowering his voice to prevent
any keen ears in the next bar from acquiring useless knowledge. "An
uncle from New Zealand, who is going to leave me all 'is money."

"Where's it coming from?" demanded Mr. Kemp, with a little excitement.

"It ain't coming," was the reply. "You've only got to say you've got it.
Fact of the matter is, I've got my eye on a young lady; there's another
chap after 'er too, and if she thought I'd got a rich uncle it might make
all the difference. She knows I 'ad an uncle that went to New Zealand
and was never heard of since. That's what made me think of it."

Mr. Kemp drank his beer in thoughtful silence. "How can I be a rich
uncle without any brass?" he inquired at length.