The wish was father to the thought, since Mike was from the West
himself.

"I'm from the Nort'--from Belfast," Mr. Reardon replied in a deep
Kerry brogue, and extended a grimy paw upon the finger of which Mike
Murphy observed a gold ring that proclaimed Mr. Terence Reardon--an
Irishman, presumably a Catholic--one who had risen to the third
degree in Freemasonry.

Cappy Ricks saw that ring also, and started visibly. A Knight
Templar himself, Terence Reardon was the last person on earth in
whom he expected to find a brother Mason. He glanced at Mike Murphy
and saw that the skipper was looking, not at Mr. Reardon, but at
the Masonic emblem.

"Sit down, chief," Cappy hastened to interrupt. "Have a chair,
captain. Mr. Reardon, my son-in-law, Captain Peasley here, tells
me you were chief of the _Narcissus_ when she was on the China
run for the Oriental Steamship Company."

Mr. Reardon sat down heavily, set his derby hat on the floor beside
him and replied briefly: "I was."

Captain Murphy excused himself and drew Matt Peasley out of the
room. "God knows," he whispered hoarsely, "religion should never
enter into the working of a ship, and I suppose I'll have to get
along with that fellow; but did you mark the Masonic ring on the
paw of the Far-Down? And on the right hand, too! The jackass don't
know enough to wear it on his left hand."