scious that the third mate's eyes were scanning me closely as
he listened. Then he said, "_Have_ you got any money, youngster?"

"Here, sir," said I; and after some struggles I got the leather bag from
my neck, and Mr. Johnson pocketed it.

"Ran away from school, I suppose?"

I tried to reply, and could not. Excitement had kept me up before the
captain, but the stress of it was subsiding, and putting my arms up to
get my purse had aggravated the intense nausea that was beginning to
overpower me. I managed to shake my head instead of speaking, after
which I thought I must have died then and there of the agony across my
brow. It seemed probable that I should go far to pay for my passage by
the amusement I afforded the crew. Even Mr. Johnson laughed, as he said,
"He seems pretty bad. Look after him, and then let him try his hand on
those stanchions--they're disgraceful. Show him how, and see that he
lays on--"

"Aye, aye, sir."

"And, bo'sun! don't be too rough on him just yet. We've all of us made
our first voyage."

"Very true, sir."

I could have fallen at the man's feet for those few kind words, but his
alert step had carried him far away; and the boatswain had gripped me by
the arm, and landed me on a seat, before I could think of how to express
my thanks.

"Stay where ye are, young stowaway," said he, "and I'll fetch the oil
and things. But don't fall overboard; for we can't afford to send a
hexpedition on a voyage of discovery harter ye."

Off went the boatswain, and by the time he came back with a bundle of
brass rods under his arm, and an old sardine-tin full of a mixture of
oil, vinegar, and sand, and a saturated fragment of a worn-out worsted
sock, I had more or less recovered from a violent attack of sickness,
and was trying to keep my teeth from being chattered out of my aching
head in the fit of shivering that succeeded it.

"Now, my pea-green beauty!" said he, "pull yourself together, and bear a
hand with this tackle. I'll carry the stanchions for you." I jumped up,
thanked him, and took the oil-tin and etceteras, feeling very grateful
that he did carry the heavy brass rods for me on to the poop, where I
scrambled after him, and after a short lesson in an art the secret of
which appeared to be to rub hard enough and long enough, he left me with
the pointed hint that the more I did within the next hour or two, the
better it would be for me. "And _wicee the worser_--hif ye learnt what
_that_ means