"He'd oughter be comin' pretty soon, hadn't he?" Captain Phineas
ventured at last, unable longer to restrain his impatience. "He said
four o'clock in his letter. It must be 'most that, don't you think?"
"Mighty nigh unto it," replied Captain Benjamin. "As I reckon it,
havin' made the necessary allowances for my watch losin'
three-an'-a-quarter minutes an hour, it should be about four now."
"It ain't but a quarter of four," sniffed Captain Jonas with an air of
superiority. "That timepiece of yours, Benjamin, ain't worth the
silver that was put into it. What's the use of havin' a watch that
keeps you figgerin' backwards an' forards, an' doin' sums all day? I
wouldn't be bothered with it."
Captain Benjamin bridled with indignation.
"I don't see but my watch is good as yours," retorted he. "The only
difference is I'm addin' from mornin' 'til night while you're
substractin'."
The discomfited Captain Baker frowned.
"Mine comes out even minutes, anyhow," announced he. "If it does shoot
ahead some, it don't keep me reckonin' in fractions like yours does.
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