"Aye ban able to pull strings, sir," Ole reminded him.

Cappy smiled, and outlined to the Swede the conditions surrounding the
barkentine Retriever. "I'm going to give you command of the
Retriever," he continued confidentially. "You are to bring her home
from Cape Town, and when you get back I'll have a staunch four-masted
schooner waiting for you. I was going to send McBride of the Nokomis
on this job, but thought better of it, for the reason that Mac may not
be physically equipped to perform the additional task I have in mind
and I believe you are. Peterson, if you want a steady job skippering
for the Blue Star Navigation Company you've got to earn it, and to
earn it you've got to give this fellow Peasley a good sound thrashing
for the good of his immortal soul. The very moment you step aboard
the Retriever let him know you're the master."

"Do you tank he ban villin' to fight?" Ole demanded.

"Something tells me he will. However, in case he doesn't, don't let
that embarrass you. Man-handle him until he does. Let me impress
upon you, captain, the fact that I want the man Peasley summarily
chastised for impudence and insubordination."

"All right, sir," said Ole. "Aye ban work him over." To be asked to
fight for a job was to this descendant of the Vikings the ne plus
ultra of sportsmanship. "Aye never ban licked yet," he added
reminiscently.

"When we cabled we were sending a man to relieve him," Cappy
complained, "he replied, telling us to insure his successor's life,