THE SKIPPER OF THE "OSPREY"
It was a quarter to six in the morning as the mate of the sailing-barge
Osprey came on deck and looked round for the master, who had been
sleeping ashore and was somewhat overdue. Ten minutes passed before he
appeared on the wharf, and the mate saw with surprise that he was
leaning on the arm of a pretty girl of twenty, as he hobbled painfully
down to the barge.
"Here you are then," said the mate, his face clearing. "I began to think
you weren't coming."
"I'm not," said the skipper; "I've got the gout crool bad. My darter
here's going to take my place, an' I'm going to take it easy in bed for
a bit."
"I'll go an' make it for you," said the mate.
"I mean my bed at home," said the skipper sharply. "I want good nursing
an' attention."
The mate looked puzzled.
"But you don't really mean to say this young lady is coming aboard
instead of you?" he said.
"That's just what I do mean," said the skipper. "She knows as much about
it as I do. She lived aboard with me until she was quite a big girl.
You'll take your orders from her. What are you whistling about? Can't I
do as I like about my own ship?"
"O' course you can," said the mate drily; "an' I s'pose I can whistle if
I like--I never heard no orders against it.
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