as to say, 'I see you,' and went down again. There warn't nothing
else as he could do, was there?"

"It was the best thing he could do anyhow," Ruthven said.

"Well, gents, I lived there for about three weeks, and then a ship
comes along, homeward bound, and I goes out and hails her. At first
they thought as I was a native as had learned to speak English,
and it wasn't till they'd boiled me for three hours in the ship's
copper as they got at the color of my skin, and could believe as
I was English. So I came back here and found the old woman still
alive, and took to fishing again; but it was weeks and weeks before
I could get her or any one else to believe as I was Jack Perkins.
And that's all the story, young gents. Generally I tells it a
sight longer to the gents as come down from London in summer; but,
you see, I can't make much out of it when ye won't let me have
'bellishments."

"And how much of it is true altogether, Jack?" Frank asked. "Really
how much?"

"It's all true as I have told you, young masters," the boatman
said. "It were every bit true about the running down of the smack,
and me being nearly killed by the skipper, and the mutiny, and
the burning of the vessel, and my living for a long time--no, I
won't stick to the two years, but it might have been three weeks,
with the natives before a ship picked me up. And that's good enough
for a yarn, ain't it?"

"Quite good enough, Jack, and we're much obliged to you; but I