won't say them--yet!"

"Really?" she breathed.

She began to feel deeply honored that such a man as McTee would make so
long an explanation to her.

"Shall I call him up here and ask him to say them now?"

"Would you do that? Captain McTee, I'm afraid that I've been very
foolish to bother you in this matter, but--"

He silenced her with a wave of the hand, and pulled the cord.

"Bring up Harrigan," he said, when the bos'n appeared again.

"I've considered myself a judge of human nature," she apologized, "but
I shall think a long time before I venture another decision."

"You're wrong to feel that way. It would take a shrewd judge to see
through Harrigan unless his record were known."

The door opened and the bos'n entered with Harrigan. He fixed his eyes
upon the captain without a glance for Kate Malone.

"Harrigan," said McTee, "I've been telling Miss Malone that you can be
released from your trouble by saying half a dozen words to me. And you
know that you can. You will be treated better than anyone in the crew
if you will put your hand in mine and say: 'Captain McTee, I give you
my word of honor as a man to do my best to obey orders during the rest