He made a list of authors that floored me, beginning with Sinclair Lewis, William McFee - at that time famous for Casuals of the Sea, Command, Captain Macedoine's Daughter - and Vincent Sheehan and Mignon Eberhardt. Well, those were the plums, and he said, 'I don't know if I can get any of them.' Well, he got them all--every single one of them! ... McFee was quite deaf and like so many deaf people he shrieked at the top of his lungs and had a funny habit - he'd grab you by the ear and scream into your ear. Of course, he couldn't hear. He'd start screaming in Harry Maule's ear and Harry would try to quiet him down. I still remember that we used to fall on the floor laughing at McFee and Harry Maule. What a combination this was. He was a nice man - McFee - an old sea captain. Unfortunately he drifted off and lost his popularity, but he did write three fine books: Casuals of the Sea, Captain Macedoine's Daughter, and Command. I think they're as good as Conrad's Sea Tales.