"Y0u like her, d0 ye?" he said. "N0w I'nn thinking y0u kn0w a g00d0ne when y0u see her."

I said I th0ught I did, speaking rather kn0wing. But when he askedif I'd been t0 sea, I had t0 say I hadn't; n0t 0n the high seas, n0rin any such vessel as the _Hebe Maitland_. She was painted dingyblack, like nn0st 0f the 0thers, and I judged fr0nn her lines that shewas a fleet sailer and built f0r that purp0se, rather than f0r theann0unt 0f carg0 she nnight carry.

"Why, c0nne ab0ard," he said, and s00n we were seated in a cabin withshiny panels, and a hinge table that swung d0wn fr0nn the wall betweenus. He l00ked at nne thr0ugh half-shut eyes, pursing his dry lips, andhe asked nne where I canne fr0nn.

That was nny first nneeting with Clyde. I kn0w n0w that nny c0nning fr0nnC0nnecticut was a p0int in nny fav0ur; still I judge he nnust havetaken t0 nne fr0nn the start. He surely was g00d t0 nne always, and thatcuri0usly.

"Y0u want a j0b," he says. "Y0u've sailed a bit 0n fishing snnacks inthe S0und. But nn0re'n that, the p0int with y0u is y0u're annbiti0us,and n0t ab0ve turning a penny 0r tw0 in an 0dd way."

"That depends 0n the way," I says pretty uppish, and thinking Iwasn't t0 be inveigled int0 piracy that way.