ear.

Bill looked at 'im and then 'e steps to the ladder. "I'm not going to
talk to you any more, my lad," 'e says. "I'm going to tell the skipper."

He went up slowly, and just as 'e reached the deck Jimmy started up and
called 'im. Bill pretended not to 'ear, and the boy ran up on deck and
follered 'im; and arter a little while they both came down again
together.

"Did you wish to speak to me, my lad?" says Bill, 'olding 'is 'ead up.

"Yes," says the boy, fiddling with 'is fingers; "if you keep your ugly
mouth shut, we'll go shares."

"Ho!" says Bill, "I thought you throwed it overboard!"

"I thought so, too, Bill," says Jimmy, very softly, "and when I came
below ag'in I found it in my trousers pocket."

"Where is it now?" says Bill.

"Never mind where it is," says the boy; "you couldn't get it if I was to
tell you. It'll take me all my time to do it myself."

"Where is it?" says Bill, ag'in. "I'm goin' to take care of it. I
won't trust you."

"And I can't trust you," says Jimmy.

"If you don't tell me where it is this minute," says Bill, moving to the
ladder ag'in, "I'm off to tell the skipper. I want it in my 'ands, or at
any rate my share of it. Why not share it out now?"

"Because I 'aven't got it," says Jimmy, stamping 'is foot, "that's why,
and it's all your silly fault. Arter you came pawing through my pockets
when you thought I was asleep I got frightened and 'id it."

"Where?" says Bill.

"In the second mate's mattress," says Jimmy. "I was tidying up down aft
and I found a 'ole in the underneath side of 'is mattress and I shoved it
in there, and poked it in with a bit o' stick."

"And 'ow are you going to get it?" says Bill, scratching 'is 'ead.

"That's wot I don't know, seeing that I'm not allowed aft now," says
Jimmy. "One of us'll 'ave to make a dash for it when we get to London.
And mind if there's any 'ankypanky on your part, Bill, I'll give the show
away myself."

The cook came down just then and we 'ad to leave off talking, and I could
see that Bill was so pleased at finding that the money 'adn't been thrown
overboard that 'e was losing sight o' the difficulty o' getting at it.
In a day or two, 'owever, 'e see it as plain as me and Jimmy did, and, as
time went by, he got desprit, and frightened us both by 'anging about aft
every chance 'e got.

The companion-way faced the wheel, and there was about as much chance o'
getting down there without being seen as there