Captain Jack received them in sweater
and visored cap, and ushered them into the front room.
"Well, how's the yarn getting on?" Captain Jack would ask.
Then Condy would read the last chapter while the Captain paced the
floor, frowning heavily, smoking cigars, listening to every word.
Condy told the story in the first person, as if Billy Isham's
partner were narrating scenes and events in which he himself had
moved. Condy called this protagonist "Burke Cassowan," and was
rather proud of the name. But the captain would none of it.
Cassowan, the protagonist, was simply "Our Mug."
"Now," Condy would say, notebook in hand, "now, Cap., we've got
down to Mazatlan. Now I want to sort of organize the expedition
in this next chapter."
"I see, I see," Captain Jack would exclaim, interested at once.
"Wait a bit till I take off my shoes. I can think better with my
shoes off"; and having removed his shoes, he would begin to pace
the room in his stocking feet, puffing fiercely on his cigar as he
warmed to the tale, blowing the smoke out through either ear,
gesturing savagely, his face flushed and his eyes kindling.
"Well, now, lessee. First thing Our Mug does when he gets to
Mazatlan is to communicate his arrival to Senora Estrada--
telegraphs, you know; and, by the way, have him use a cipher."
"What kind of cipher?"
"Count three letters on from the right letter, see. If you were
spelling 'boat,' for instance, you would begin with an E, the
third letter after B; then R for the O, being the third letter
from O.
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