A few sturdy strokes shot the boat across to the landing, where the captain ordered two of the men to await his return, and gave the lads to understand that they were to follow him.
He led them to a sailors’ slop-shop, where in a very few minutes he had provided the latest addition to his crew with a heavy suit of duffle cloth, a pea-jacket, two flannel shirts, a pair of rubber hip-boots, another pair of stout cow-hide, a woollen toque, or sailor’s nightcap, a long oil-skin coat, and a hat of similar material.
“There!” growled Captain Duff, viewing these things as they lay piled on the counter. “I call that an outfit such as mighty few shipmasters would pervide for a landlubber. But when I undertakes to do a thing, I does it. D’ye hear?”
Both lads agreed that they did hear. In fact, they would have been very deaf indeed not to have heard. Phil expressed himself as gratified for so complete a supply of everything that seemed needful.
“So ye should be, ye young vil――I mean so ye should be!” roared Captain Duff. “Now give us a bag, ye swab, and make out your thundering bill, for I’m in a hurry. D’ye hear?”
This last was addressed to the shopman, who thereupon produced a heavy canvas bag of the kind known as a “sea-trunk,” into which the two lads stowed all the recent purchases.
When the bill for these was presented, Captain Duff growled over each separate item, and after he had paid it, he said to Phil: “There, young fellow, I’ve invested fifty dollars in you, and you’re bound to work it out afore your account is all squared. D’ye hear?”
“You are very good, I am sure,” murmured the lad, not knowing what else to say.
“What! Me good! Who dares say I’m not good?” roared the captain, glaring about him with a ferocious expression.
As no one replied to this outburst, he ordered the lads to carry the recent purchases down to the boat, and get back to the schooner with all speed.
“I must go to my hotel first to transact some business,” suggested Phil.
“Go to a hotel? What business have you with a hotel? I thought you said you’d be ready as soon as ye had an outfit?”
“I have some things there which I desire to see to,” began Phil.
“Yes, I know. Rifles and things. Well, hurry up; and mind ye, if you’re not back inside of an hour, I’ll have ye arrested as a desarter.”