something in the code book to help him say it at cut rates, but
despairing after a diligent search he finally evolved and dispatched
this cablegram to Matt Peasley, addressing it to the cable address of
the Retriever.

San Francisco, Feb. 16th, 19--.

Rickstar,
Cape Town.

Peasley, your meager maritime experience renders prohibitive
compliance request. Retain charge master's pay pending arrival
successor.

Bluestar.

Having dispatched his message to Matt Peasley, Mr. Skinner, as he
thought, had dismissed Peasley from his thoughts forever. It would
appear, however, that in this particular the general manager was
counting Mother Carey s chickens before they were hatched. He little
suspected, in his desire to be fair, even at considerable expense, to
inform Matt Peasley just why the Blue Star Navigation Company couldn't
possibly hand over its fine barkentine to a stranger, that he had only
reopened the controversy; that his unfortunate reference to "meager
maritime experience" had flicked Matt Peasley on a raw spot and been
provocative of this reply, received the same day:

Cape Town, Feb. 16, 19--.

Bluestar,