The fat seaman was standing in front of the cage as she reached it, and
regarding the bear with much satisfaction until Kate sidled up to him,
and begged him, as a personal favour, to go in the cage and undo it.
"Undo it! Why he'd kill me!" gasped the fat seaman, aghast at such
simplicity.
"I don't think he would," said his tormenter, with a bewitching smile;
"and I'll wear a lock of your hair all my life if you do. But you'd
better give it to me before you go in."
"I ain't going in," said the fat sailor shortly.
"Not for me?" queried Kate archly,
"Not for fifty like you," replied the old man firmly. "He nearly had me
when he was loose. I can't think how he got out."
"Why, I let him out," said Miss Rumbolt airily. "Just for a little run.
How would you like to be shut up all day?"
The sailor was just going to tell her with more fluency than politeness
when he was interrupted. "That'll do," said the skipper, who had come
behind them. "Go for'ard, you. There's been enough of this fooling; the
lady thought you had taken the ship. Thompson, I'll take the helm;
there's a little wind coming. Stand by there."
He walked aft and relieved the steersman, awkwardly conscious that the
men were becoming more and more interested in the situation, and also
that Kate could hear some of their remarks.
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