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Is it agreed?" "Luggage, of course, mister; but them there arn't luggage. Curiosities, didn't you say? What's in 'em?" "That is my affair, Mr Perks." "'Badiah P. Perks, please mister. Now, then, is it square and confidence, and 'Badiah P. Perks' friends, or isn't it?" "I shall place every confidence in the captain of our vessel, Mr Perks." "'Badiah P. Perks, mister."
"I am," I said. "May I ask your name?" "Perks," he said sharply. "'Badiah P. Perks, o' New York. What's your'n?" I told him. "Hah, yes. I could see you warn't an A-murray-can. I'll take you if you'll pay." "Oh, I'll pay a reasonable fare for our party," I replied. "Party, eh? How many?" "My uncle, his wife and daughter, and us two," I said. "And that makes five, stranger. Baggage?"
I was so wroth with the scoundrel and his cool impudence that I took a defiant tone and said shortly: "Any time you like, Captain Perks." "'Badiah P. Perks, mister. All right. I won't be long." "But mind this," I said, "you are doing it for your own amusement, for I shall advise my uncle not to go by your vessel." "Riled, mister? Jest a little bit, eh? All right.
"Just you go and say Kyaptin 'Badiah P. Perks is here and wants to see him tew wunst." For answer Tom drew a long breath and puffed out a cloud of smoke at the skipper. "Air yew a-going?" said the latter. "No," said Tom, "I air not. My young master don't want you, nor your ship, nor anything else. You wouldn't take the job when you could get it, so now it's gone."
"Then just you go and tell him that Kyaptin 'Badiah P. Perks is here with a gentleman who'll overhaul that stack o' chesties, and say whether I can take 'em board o' my schooner without getting into trouble." "Oh! Mas'r Harry won't get you into no trouble, cap'en," said Tom, "nor he won't give you no trouble. He's altered his mind and won't go." "Oh, no, he haven't," said the skipper.
"Come, mister," he said with a grin, evidently divining my thoughts, "out with it, come; you want them chesties smuggled off on the quiet, don't you now? Best take 'Badiah P. Perks into confidence, I guess; makes it smooth for all parties." "If you like to take our party and luggage to New York, Mr Perks," I said quietly, "I am ready, as my uncle will be ready, to pay you well for the passage.
"Mr Obadiah P. Perks," I said. "Drop that O, stranger. Don't belong. 'Badiah P. Perks, mister." "Mr 'Badiah P. Perks," I said. "And my folks calls me Kyaptin," said the skipper. "Say, it's wonderful how much ignorance there is 'mongst you Englishers.
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