"That fellow is a tough one to handle," he remarked to Cappy Ricks, to
whom he showed all the cablegrams, "but I guess this will about cut
off his wind."

"A sea lawyer is the curse of the Seven Seas!" Cappy declared
waspishly. He was very bitter against Matt Peasley, whom he now
regarded as an ally of the piratical cable company.



CHAPTER VII

CAPPY RICKS MAKES BAD MEDICINE


That afternoon Mr. Skinner herded Captain McBride of the Nokomis and
his Norwegian mate into Cappy Ricks' office. Cappy brought them to
terms very promptly, and the captain started for New York on the
Overland the same night. From New York he was to take passage to
Liverpool, thence via the A. D. line to Cape Town. Cappy almost had a
bloody sweat when he reflected on the expense for provisions and wages
for the crew during the weeks of idleness while McBride was on the way
to join the Retriever. Both he and Mr. Skinner had decided that
nothing could be gained by informing McBride, who was a little,
mild-mannered gentleman with gold eyeglasses, of the potential ducking
that awaited him at the hands of Matt Peasley; for just before McBride
said good-bye and started for the train Cappy and Mr. Skinner
discovered that their apple cart again had been upset. The following
cablegram received from Matt Peasley knocked into a cocked hat all
their high hopes of ridding themselves of the incubus.