d everything was fine."

"Yes, Joe, it was fine. All that coast of Spain and Portugal was
lovely."

"Yes, sir, and you got grumbling 'cause your uncle wouldn't give orders
for us to let go the anchor for you to go fishing."

"Well, see how grand it was, and how calm the sea used to get of an
evening before we put in to Gibraltar."

"And then you weren't half satisfied, sir. You'll excuse me, Mr Rodd,
sir, but you do make me laugh;" and to the boy's great annoyance the man
half turned from him, leaned over the taffrail, laughed till his sides
shook, and then pulling himself up suddenly wiped his eyes. "I am very
sorry, sir," he said.

"Doesn't seem like it," cried Rodd warmly, as he made as if to go away.

It was one evening when the calm sea as it heaved seemed in places to
glint forth all the glorious colours of a beautiful pearl shell, and the
east wind was of a different complexion to that familiar to an English
lad, for it was soft, balmy and sweet, suggestive of its having been
blowing gently for miles and miles over beds of flowers.

"Oh, don't go away in a tiff, Mr Rodd, sir. It was only me, and you
know what I am. I didn't mean no offence."

"Well, it was offensive," said Rodd. "How would you like to be laughed
at?"

"Me, sir?" cried the man merrily. "Me who has been knocking about the
sea nearly all my life, first in a west-country fishing-boat, and then
in a King's ship, and been in action! Like being laughed at! Why,
bless your heart, sir, it suits me down to the deck. I like it. Deal
better than having the old man dropping on to me about something being
wrong aloft."

"Well, I don't see that there was anything to laugh at," cried Rodd,
softening down a little, for somehow the liking he had felt for the
sturdy-looking sailor ever since he had come on board had gone on
increasing, and Rodd affected Joe's society more than that of any one in
the ship. At least he said so to Uncle Paul, who shook his head and
with a grim smile joined issue.

"No, Pickle," he cried, "I won't have that. You seem to make better
friends with the cook than with anybody."

"Oh, uncle," replied the boy, "you always do tease me about my
appetite."

"Never mind, Pickle," said Uncle Paul good-humouredly. "Go on eating,
and grow."

But to return to the conversation by the taffrail.

"No, sir," said Joe Cross, "of course you don't, sir. It'd be contrairy
to nature if you did. We chaps can't see ourselves.