look, and laid his hand on his
breast--"No more of dat if you love me, massa."

"Well, well, it don't signify now, my boy; she will never give you that
trouble again--foundered--all hands lost, Peter, but the two you see
before you."

"Werry sorry, Massa Plinter, werry sorry--What! de black cook's-mate and
all?--But misfortune can't be help. Stop till I put up my needle, and I
will take a turn wid you." Here he drew himself up with a great deal of
absurd gravity. "Proper dat British hofficer in distress should assist
one anoder--we shall consult togeder.--How can I serve you?"

"Why, Peter, if you could help us to a passage to Port Royal, it would
be serving us most essentially. When we used to be lying there a week
seldom passed without one of the squadron arriving from this; but here
have we been for more than a month without a single pennant belonging to
the station having looked in: our money is running short, and if we are
to hold on in Carthagena for another six weeks, we shall not have a shot
left in the locker--not a copper to tinkle on a tombstone."

The negro looked steadfastly at us, then carefully around. There was no
one near.

"You see, Massa Plinter, I am desirable to serve you, for one little
reason of my own; but, beside dat, it is good for me at present to make
some friend wid de hofficer of de squadron, being as how dat I am absent
widout leave."

"Oh, I perceive--a large R against your name in the master-attendant's
books, eh?"

"You have hit it, sir, werry close; besides, I long mosh to return to my
poor wife, Nancy Cator, dat I leave, wagabone dat I is, just about to be
confine."

I could not resist putting in my oar.

"I saw Nancy just before we sailed, Peter--fine child that; not quite so
black as you, though."

"Oh, massa," said Snowball, grinning, and showing his white teeth, "you
know I am soch a terrible black fellow--But you are a leetle out at
present, massa--I meant, about to be confine in de work-house for
stealing de admiral's Muscovy ducks;" and he laughed loud and
long.--"However, if you will promise dat you will stand my friends, I
will put you in de way of getting a shove across to de east end of
Jamaica; and I will go wid you too, for company."

"Thank you," rejoined Mr. Splinter; "but how do you mean to manage this?
There is no Kingston trader here at present, and you don't mean to make
a start of it in an open boat, do you?"

"No, sir, I don't; but in de first plac