Excerpt from Sea Yarns for Boys, Spun by an Old Salt

The Old Sailor sat on the outer end of the pier and looked out over the waves. Henry Hovey and his brother George stood on the inner end of the pier and looked at the Old Sailor. They knew he was an Old Sailor because they had been told so, but he did not wear a blue shirt with a rolling collar with anchors embroidered on it, nor a flat-crowned cap without a brim, nor wide trousers. He wore a fur cap, a short coat of rough material, and his brown trousers were tucked into his bootlegs. But their mother had said he was an Old Sailor who had left the sea and had come there to live in peace the remainder of his days.

"I wonder if he would tell us a yarn?" said George.

"That's a good idea, " said Henry. "Suppose we try him."

They walked out to the end of the pier, and rather timidly approached the Old Sailor.

"How are ye, lads?" was his greeting. "It's a putty day, if ye like the wind."

"Yes, sir, " said George, "it is a pretty day, and I like the wind quite well."

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