Ask for Mr. Todd, or, better still, walk straight
on to the wharf and have a look at her. The old man'll see you fast
enough."
He sprang nimbly ashore as the boat's head touched the stairs, and after
extending a hand to Mr. Chalk, which was coldly ignored, led the way up
the steps to the quay.
"There's the wharf just along there," he said, pointing up the road.
"I'll wait for you at the Jack Ashore here. Don't offer him too much to
begin with."
"I thought of offering a hundred pounds," said Mr. Tredgold. "If the
ship's sound we can't be very much out over that sum."
Captain Brisket stared at him. "No; don't do that," he said, recovering,
and speaking with great gravity. "Offer him seventy. Good luck."
He watched them up the road and then, with a mysterious grin, turned into
the Jack Ashore, and taking a seat in the bar waited patiently for their
return.
Half an hour passed. The captain had smoked one pipe and was half
through another. He glanced at the clock over the bar and fidgeted as an
unpleasant idea that the bargain, despite Mr. Tredgold's ideas as to the
value of schooners, might have been completed without his assistance
occurred to him.
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