"Oh, captain I forgot to tell you that I brought you a letter from the office which came just as I was leavin' it."
"Put it down then," said the skipper in anything but a conciliatory tone. But Sloggett was not put off by that. He could not conceive that anyone would not come off his perch at the sound of money.
"I want to talk to you about raisin' your screw, captain," he said, with an obsequiousness which was very rare with him. "I want to talk with you on the subject of raisin' your screw."
"I don't want to have any conversation with you or any of your partners," said the skipper truculently; "and if you have any thing to say on that or any other subject, you can say it when I come to dinner."
"Oh, very well," said Sloggett. "I am sorry I have disturbed you, but I forgot to tell you that I 'ad a letter for you, and that was really why I came in."
"I told you to put it down, didn't I?" asked the skipper. "So do it and get."
Sloggett withdrew like a dog with his tail between his legs, and went back to his friends and reported that Jordan was mad and intract-
