ntly further away in the
distance, followed by a sort of gurgling sound, and then the fall of
some heavy object was heard in the hold.

"Who's there below?" repeated the captain, endeavouring to pierce the
cimmerian darkness by waving the lighted lantern about and holding it as
far down the hatchway as his arm could reach. "Speak or I'll fire!"

This was an empty threat of the skipper's, as he held no weapon in his
hand save the lantern; but it had the necessary effect all the same.

"It's only me, massa," said a thick guttural voice from below; "only
me," repeated the voice pleadingly. "Goramighty, massa, don't shoot!"

"And who's me?" interrogated the captain sternly, as the mate and the
passenger looked at each other inquiringly, a smile creeping over Mr
Meldrum's face, while the Irishman screwed up his left eye into a
palpable wink.

"Me, Snowball, sah--a 'spectable collud genleman from Jamaikey, massa,"
replied the voice in the hold.

"And what the dickens are you doing aboard my ship?" asked Captain Dinks
in an angry tone; but the others could see that he was half-laughing as
he spoke.

"Me want passage, sah, back home. Very bad peoples, sah, in Plymouth;
tieve all poah niggah's money and make him drunk. Snowball starbing; so
um see lubly fine ship goin' way and get aboard in shore boat wid um
last shillun: eb'ryting scramble and jumble when come on deck; so
Snowball go get in cabin, and den down in hold, where he see steward
stow um grub, and lie quiet till ship sail. When hold open, he try get
out, but can't; box fall on um foot, and Snowball holler wid pain;
steward tink um de Debbel and knock down tings. Snowball done no harm;
um bery bad wid um leg!"

"Sure, an' it's an impedent schoundrel he is, the spalpeen!" said the
mate. "Of all the cheeky stowaways I ever came across, he bates the lot
entirely. Shall I rouse him up with a rope's end, cap'en?"

"No, wait a bit, McCarthy," said the captain; "we'll try a little
persuasion first. Here, `Snowball,' or whatever else you call yourself,
just sling your hook out of that, and come up here. I fancy I shall be
able to accommodate you with something, besides a free passage at my
owner's expense!"

"Can't, massa," replied the stowaway, after making a movement, as they
could hear, below, succeeded by a suppressed cry of pain; "um leg jammed
'tween box and cask: Snowball feel bery bad--tink leg go squash: can't
move um nohow."

"Be jabers!" excl