ere," he said
wearily.

"You've been on the spree," said Sam, regarding him severely.

"_Spree!_" said the cook with expression. "_Spree!_"

His feelings choked him, and after a feeble attempt to translate them
into words, he abandoned the attempt, and turning a deaf ear to Sam's
appeal for information, rolled into his bunk and fell fast asleep.

CHAPTER V.

They got under way at four o'clock next morn-ing, and woke the cook up
to assist at 3.30. At 3.45 they woke him again, and at 3.50 dragged
him from his bunk and tried to arouse him to a sense of his duties. The
cook, with his eyes still closed, crawled back again the moment they
left him, and though they had him out twice after that, he went back in
the same somnambulistic state and resumed his slumbers.

Brittlesea was thirty miles astern when he at length awoke and went on
deck, and the schooner was scudding along under a stiff breeze. It was
a breeze such as the mate loved, and his face was serene and peaceful
until his gaze fell upon the shrinking figure of the cook as it glided
softly into the galley.

"Cook," he roared, "come here, you skulking rascal! Where've you been
all this time?"

"I've been in trouble, sir," said the cook humbly; "you'll 'ardly
believe the trouble I've been in through trying to do the skipper a
kindness."

"Don't you come none of that with me," roared the mate warningly.
"Where've you been? Come, out with it!"

The cook, still somewhat weak from his adventures, leaned against
the companion, and with much dramatic gesture began his story. As it
proceeded the mate's breath came thick and fast, his color rose, and he
became erratic in his steering. Flattered by these symptoms of concern,
the cook continued.

"That'll do," said the mate at last.

"I ain't got to the worst of it yet, sir," said the cook.

"If you stand there lying to me for another moment I'll break your
neck," said the mate violently. "You've had two days on the drink,
that's what you've had."

"It's gawspel truth, sir," said the cook solemnly.

"You wait till the skipper turns out," said the other, shaking his fist
at him. "If it wasn't for leaving the wheel I'd set about you myself, my
lad."

To the cook's indignation the skipper shared the opinions of the mate
concerning his story, and in a most abrupt and unfeeling fashion stopped
two days' pay. Down in the foc'sle he fared no better, the crew's honest
tribute of amazement to his powers of un