cheering or grumbling, and arguing the rights and wrongs of the matter.
All but the sea-captain, who saw it all, and he never blinked an eyelid,
never even missed a draw of the pipe.

And then Marco Polo knew him to be a Chinaman, because, as all the
world knows, Chinamen are never surprised at anything.



CHAPTER IV

So Marco Polo goes over and salutes him politely.

"I wonder if you mind my sitting down by you for a while," he says.
"I perceive you're from China."

The sea-captain waves him politely to his place.

"I'm from China." He smiles. "You guessed right."

"Is it long since you've been in China?"

"Well, that depends upon what you call long," says the captain.
"If you mean time, it's one thing. If you mean voyage, it's another.
For you've got to take into account," says he, "adverse winds,
roundabout turns to avoid currents, possible delays to have the
ship scraped free from the parasite life that does be attaching
itself to the strakes, time spent in barter and trade. Other
matters, too; the attacks of pirates; cross-grained princes who
don't want you to be leaving their ports with a good cargo in your