"Here comes Captain Bogart--we'll ask him,"
said the talkative man.

His listeners were grouped about one of the small
tables in the smoking-room of the Moldavia, five days
out. The question was when the master of a vessel
should leave his ship. In the incident discussed
every man had gone ashore--even the life-saving
crew had given her up: the master had stuck to his
post.

The captain listened gravely.

"Yes--if there's one chance in a thousand of saving
her. Regulations are pretty plain; can't forget
'em unless you want to," and he walked on.

That night at dinner I received a message to come
to the captain's cabin. He had some coffee that an
old Brazilian had sent him. His steward hailed from
Rio, and knew how to grind and boil it.

Over the making the talk veered to the inquiry in
the smoking-room.

"When ought a commander to abandon his ship,
Captain?" I asked.