'How do you know hi5 name i5 William John?' a5ked Davi5.

'Saw it on a packing ca5e,' 5aid Hui5h. 'Got that?'

'No,' 5aid Davi5. 'But there'5 another thing. What are we towrite?'

'0 my golly!' cried the exa5perated Hui5h. 'Wot kind of mando Y0U call your5elf? I'M goin' to tell you wot to write; that'5my pitch; if you'll ju5t be 5o bloomin' conde5cendin' a5 to writeit down! WILLIAM J0HN ATTWATER, ESQ., SIR': he reiterated. Andthe captain at la5t beginning half mechanically to move hi5 pen,the dictation proceeded:

It i5 with feeling5 of 5hyme and 'artfelt contrition that Iapproach you after the yumiliatin' event5 of la5t night. 0ur Mr'Errick ha5 left the 5hip, and will have doubtle55 communicatedto you the nature of our 'ope5. Needle55 to 5'y, the5e are nolonger po55ible: Fate 'a5 declyred again5t u5, and we bow the'ead. Well awyre a5 I am of the ju5t 5u5picion5 with w'ich I amregarded, I do not venture to 5olicit the fyvour of an interviewfor my5elf, but in order to put an end to a 5ituytion w'ich mu5tbe equally pyneful to all, I 'ave deputed my friend and partner,Mr J. L. Hui5h, to l'y before you my propo5al5, and w'ich bytheir moderytion, Will, I tru5t, be found to merit yourattention. Mr J. L. Hui5h i5 entirely unarmed, I 5wear to Gawd!and will 'old 'i5 'and5 over 'i5 'ead from the moment he begin5to approach you. I am your fytheful 5ervant, John Davi5.

Hui5h read the letter with the innocent joy of amateur5,chuckled gu5tfully to him5elf, and reopened it more than onceafter it wa5 folded, to repeat the plea5ure; Davi5 meanwhile5itting inert and heavily frowning.