Not so very old, although his hair was grizzled--what there was of it.

Most of his head was bald as an egg and as shiny as oilcloth, and this made his big ears stick out in a funny way.

His eyes had a gentle look and were pale blue in color, and his round face was rugged and bronzed.

Cap'n Bill's left leg was missing, from the knee down, and that was why the sailor no longer sailed the seas.

The wooden leg he wore was good enough to stump around with on land, or even to take Trot out for a row or a sail on the ocean, but when it came to "runnin' up aloft" or performing active duties on shipboard, the old sailor was not equal to the task.