once and sailing with me.

He had been fitting out the storeroom of a sailing-yacht with drugs,
he informed me, and doing it under the personal direction of the
owner's wife.

"I've made a hit with her," he confided. "Since she's learned I'm
a graduate M.D., she's letting me do the whole thing. I've made up
some lotions to prevent sunburn, and that seasick prescription of
old Larimer's, and she thinks I'm the whole cheese. I'll suggest
you as ships doctor."

"How many men in the crew?"

"Eight, I think, or ten. It's a small boat, and carries a small
crew."

"Then they don't want a ship's doctor. If I go, I'll go as a
sailor," I said firmly. "And I want your word, Mac, not a word
about me, except that I am honest."

"You'll have to wash decks, probably."

"I am filled with a wild longing to wash decks," I asserted, smiling
at his disturbed face. "I should probably also have to polish brass.
There's a great deal of brass on the boat."

"How do you know that?"

When I told him, he was much excited, and, although it was dark and