Red Hat Girl

'McCready & Swanson.' ¡¡¡¡'Sir!' Wolf Larsen thundered. ¡¡¡¡'McCready & Swanson, sir,' the boy corrected, his eyes burning with a bitter light. ¡¡¡¡'Who got the advance money?' ¡¡¡¡'They did, sir.' ¡¡¡¡'I thought as much. And devilish glad you were to let them have it. Couldn't make yourself scarce too quick, with several gentlemen you may have heard of looking for you.' ¡¡¡¡The boy metamorphosed into a savage on the instant. His body bunched together as though for a spring, and his face became as an infuriated beast's as he snarled, 'It's a-' ¡¡¡¡'A what?' Wolf Larsen asked, a peculiar softness in his voice, as though he were overwhelmingly curious to hear the unspoken word. ¡¡¡¡The boy hesitated, then mastered his temper. 'Nothin', sir. I take it back.' ¡¡¡¡'And you have shown me I was right.' This with a gratified smile. 'How old are you?' ¡¡¡¡'Just turned sixteen, sir.' ¡¡¡¡'A lie. You'll never see eighteen again. Big for your age at that, with muscles like a horse. Pack up your kit and go for'ard into the fo'c's'le. You're a boat-puller now. You're promoted; see?'