- Meet Jim, a young guy who works as a "water-clerk" at various ports in Southeast Asia. That means that he helps ships get situated with fresh drinking water and other supplies before they head out to sea.
- Jim is good-looking and fairly popular, but people don't seem to know much about him. Good thing our narrator is in the know, and can give us the details.
- Flashback alert: Jim grew up in a parsonage (a house that belongs to the Church) in England. Because he was a younger brother, he had no shot at inheriting his family's land, so he opted to become a sailor. Maybe he saw this gem and couldn't resist joining up.
- The early part of Jim's career goes pretty well, except for one night when he misses an opportunity to help rescue some people at sea.