to be somewhere between thirty and thirty-five.

Had he known, however, that his prospective captain had but recently
attained his majority the Old Man would have ascribed Matt Peasley's
record-breaking voyage from Cape Town to Grays Harbor as sheer luck,
and forthwith would have set Master Matthew down for a five-year
apprenticeship as first mate; for Cappy was the product of an older
day, and held that gray hairs and experience are the prime requisites
for a berth as master.

Any young upstart can run coastwise, put in his service sailing a ship
from headland to headland, and then take a course in a navigation
school, where in six weeks he can cram sufficient navigation into his
thick head to pass the inspectors and get a master's ticket; but for
offshore cruising Cappy Ricks demanded a real sailor and a thorough
business man rolled into one.

Mother's Darling had returned to Grays Harbor from a flying visit to
Seattle, where two grizzled old ex-salts, the local inspectors, had
put him through a severe examination to ascertain what he knew of
Bowditch on Navigation and Nichols on Seamanship. Naturally he did
not know as much as they thought he should; but, out of sheer
salt-water pride in the exploit of a stripling and in deference to a
letter from Cappy Ricks requesting them to waive further probation as
chief mate and issue Mr. Peasley his master's license if they found
him at all competent--this in order that the said Peasley might take
command of his barkentine, the Retriever, forthwith--the inspectors
concluded to override the rules of the Department of Commerce, and
gave Matt Peasley his master's license.