He was very intelligent and quick of hearing, but dumb, and it was said that he had been captured by Algerine pirates when a boy and had his tongue cut out by them.

This, however, I was in a position to contradict, for I had once got a glimpse of Krok's tongue and so knew that he had one, though his face was so covered with hair that one might have doubted almost if he even had a mouth.
He was said to be Spanish.

He was said to be Scotch.

Wherever he was born, he was by nature an honest man and faithful as a dog.

My grandfather had taken a liking to him, and when he quitted the sea Krok followed him, and became his man and served him faithfully.