The  sailor  looked  perplexed  at  the  question.
"Ah  !  that's  a  puzzler,"  he  replied,  knocking
the  ashes  out  of  his  pipe.  "  Will  you  take  me  to
your  mother's  house,  lad  ?  "

"Willingly,"  said  I,  and,  jumping  up,  I  led
the  way.  As  we  turned  to  go,  I  observed  that
the  old  gentleman  with  the  gold-headed  cane  was
leaning  over  the  rail  of  the  pier  at  a  short  distance
from  us.  A  feeling  of  anger  instantly  rose  within
me,  and  I  exclaimed,  loud  enough  for  him  to  hear —

"  I  do  believe  that  stingy  old  chap  has  been
listening  to  every  word  we've  been  saying  1 "

I  thought  I  observed  a  frown  on  the  sailor's
brow  as  I  said  this,  but  he  made  no  remark,  and
in  a  few  minutes  we  were  walking  rapidly  through
the  streets.     My  companion  stopped  at  one  of


14  •  FIGHTING  THE  WHALES.
those  stores  so  common  in  seaport  towns,  where
one  can  buy  almost  anything,  from  a  tallow  candle
to  a  brass  cannon.  Here  he  purchased  a  pound
of  tea,  a  pound  of  sugar,  a  pound  of  butter,  and
a  small  loaf, — all  of  which  he  thrust  into  the
huge  pockets  of  his  coat.  He  had  evidently  no
idea  of  proportion  or  of  household  affairs.  It
was  a  simple,  easy  way  of  settling  the  matter,  to
get  a  pound  of  everything.
