On entering the village we found it in a state of unusual bustle. I had often been there before, and had thought it rather a quiet place for a seaport. But now there was a sort of bustling activity and an air of mystery about it that I could not understand. I mentioned my feelings to Jack, but he did not answer me, which was a piece of rudeness so unusual that I could only suppose that his mind was so deeply affected with the circumstances in which we had placed ourselves, as to render him somewhat absent.  
On arriving at the chief, indeed the only, inn of the place, we discovered the reason of all the bustle. A strange ship had arrived the night before—a large ship, fitted out for an expedition to some distant part of the world. She had come to complete her supply of provisions and to engage a few extra hands.
 
Here then was a fortunate opportunity! We asked at once where we could find the captain. He was in the bar-room of the inn. We entered it and found him there, standing with his back to the fire and a coat-tail under each arm. He was a big fat man, with a savage expression of countenance, and ragged head and beard, and a red nose.
 
“Sir,” said Jack, “we wish to ship with you.”
 
The captain stared, took a pencil-case out of his pocket, picked his teeth therewith, and surveyed us from head to foot.
 
“Oh, you do, do you? You wish to ship with me?”
 
“Yes.”
 
“Suppose I don’t want you.”
 
“Then we shall have to try elsewhere.”
 
The captain smiled grimly, shut up the pencil-case, and said—
 
“What can ye do?”
 
“We can read, and write, and count,” said I, taking the words out of Jack’s mouth; for I felt that his brusque manner of replying was not calculated to commend us to the captain.
 
“Oh, you can read, and write, and count, can ye?” repeated the captain, with deep sarcasm. “If ye had said ye could feed, and fight, and shout, it would have bin more to the purpose.”
 
“Perhaps we can do a little of that sort of thing, too,” suggested Jack, with a broad grin.
 
“Hah?” ejaculated the captain. “Wot else can ye do?”
 
“Oh, anything,” said Jack.
 
“I gin’rally find,” observed the captain, “that w’en a boy says he can do anything, he very soon proves that he can do nothing.”
 
“Well, I don’t mean that exactly,” rejoined Jack; “I mean we can try anything.”
 
“Ha! that’s more to the pint. Where did ye come from?”
 
We looked at each other. “That,” said I, “is a matter of no importance to any one but ourselves. We have run away from home, and we want to go to sea as fast as possible. If you are willing to take us, we are willing to go. What say you?”
 
“Run away! ho! ho!—run away!” said the captain, chuckling; “you are just the lads I want. Nothing like runaway boys for me. I wouldn’t give a pinch of snuff for your good boys that do wot they’re bid. Commend me to the high-spirited fellers that runs away, and that folk are so wicked as to call bad boys. That’s the sort o’ ............