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 of tea . Owen Ford separated himself from the life-book , with as much reluctance as a miser wrenches himself from his gold , long enough to drink his tea , and then returned to it hungrily . `` Oh , you can take that thing home with you if you want to , '' said Captain Jim , as if the `` thing '' were not his most treasured possession . `` I must go down and pull my boat up a bit on the skids . There 's a wind coming . Did you notice the sky tonight ? Mackerel skies and mares ' tails Make tall ships carry short sails . '' Owen Ford accepted the offer of the life-book gladly . On their way home Anne told him the story of lost Margaret . `` That old captain is a wonderful old fellow , '' he said . `` What a life he has led ! Why , the man had more adventures in one week of his life than most of us have in a lifetime . Do you really think his tales are all true ? '' `` I certainly do . I am sure Captain Jim could not tell a lie ; and besides , all the people about here say that everything happened as he relates it .
There used to be plenty of his old shipmates alive XXXXX corroborate him .
On about as besides from if in that to up