Strona 196 z 416

"Why in time did she send me that?" he asked himself, his voice

very near disgust. "It must have looked mighty strange to Nell

for me to be getting money from Elsa Mallaby."

He stopped short in the midst of pulling off one boot. The idea

had never struck him forcibly before. Now it seemed evident that

Nellie's reserve might have been due to the letter.

"What a fool I was not to tell her all about it!" he cried. With

one boot off he reached across to the packet under the swinging

lamp and drew the letter out of it and read:

"DEAR PARTNER:

"Here is something that Captain Bijonah will hand to you when he

catches the Lass. There are supposed to be one hundred and fifty

dollars in this packet (I never was much of a counter, as you

know). Now, dear friend, this isn't all for you unless you need

it. It is simply a small reserve fund for the men of the fleet if

they should need anything--a new gaff, for instance, or a jib, or

grub.