It was a compound of horror and humor , and though Anne had heard it several times she laughed as heartily and shivered as fearsomely over it as Mr. Ford did . Other tales followed , for Captain Jim had an audience after his own heart . He told how his vessel had been run down by a steamer ; how he had been boarded by Malay pirates ; how his ship had caught fire ; how he helped a political prisoner escape from a South African republic ; how he had been wrecked one fall on the Magdalens and stranded there for the winter ; how a tiger had broken loose on board ship ; how his crew had mutinied and marooned him on a barren island -- these and many other tales , tragic or humorous or grotesque , did Captain Jim relate . The mystery of the sea , the fascination of far lands , the lure of adventure , the laughter of the world -- his hearers felt and realised them all . Owen Ford listened , with his head on his hand , and the First Mate purring on his knee , his brilliant eyes fastened on Captain Jim 's rugged , eloquent face . `` Wo n't you let Mr. Ford see your life-book , Captain Jim ? '' asked Anne , when Captain Jim finally declared that yarn-spinning must end for the time . `` Oh , he do n't want to be bothered with THAT , '' protested Captain Jim , who was secretly dying to show it . `` I should like nothing better than to see it , Captain Boyd , '' said Owen . `` If it is half as wonderful as your tales it will be worth seeing . '' With pretended reluctance Captain Jim dug his life-book out of his old chest and handed it to Owen . `` I reckon you wo n't care to wrastle long with my old hand o ' write . I never had much schooling , '' he observed carelessly . `` Just wrote that there to amuse my nephew Joe . He 's always wanting stories . Comes here yesterday and says to me , reproachful-like , as I was lifting a twenty-pound codfish out of my boat , ` Uncle Jim , ai n't a codfish a dumb animal ? ' I 'd been a-telling him , you see , that he must be real kind to dumb animals , and never hurt 'em in any way . I got out of the scrape by saying a codfish was dumb enough but it was n't an animal , but Joe did n't look satisfied , and I was n't satisfied myself . You 've got to be mighty careful what you tell them little critters . THEY can see through you . ''
While talking , Captain Jim watched Owen Ford from the corner of his eye as the latter examined the life-book ; and presently observing that his guest was lost in its pages , he turned smilingly to his cupboard and proceeded to make a pot XXXXX tea .
If With by for in of over that though through