d have the chance of getting fresh grub, we always keep a good table.
At sea, after a spell, we've got to rough it on salt junk frequently."

"Not like what we poor fellows had to put up with in the service,"
observed dad, shrugging his shoulders with a grimace.

"Ah, we in the mercantile marine know how to enjoy ourselves," said
Captain Miles with a satisfactory chuckle. "You naval chaps are
something like what the niggers say of white folks that have come down
in the world out here, and try to keep up appearances without means.
You have `poor greatness, with dry rations,' hey?"

"That's true enough," replied dad; and then we all set to work with our
knives and forks, demolishing, in less than no time, a grilled fowl and
some delicious fried flying-fish, with the accompaniment of roast
buttered yams and fresh plantains.

I don't know when I ever had such a jolly tuck out. The long ride after
my forced quietness at home, and the sea air, combined with my novel
surroundings--I was so overjoyed at being on board a ship, and having a
meal in a real cabin, the very height of my ambition and what I had
often longed for--gave me a tremendous appetite. It was the first
really hearty meal I had eaten since my illness.

"Well, Eastman," said Captain Miles presently to dad, "I suppose you've
come about the youngster. Do you want me to take him home with me this
voyage, eh?"

Of course I pricked up my ears on hearing this question; but dad did not
satisfy my curiosity, although he noticed that I almost jumped up in my
seat and was all attention.

"No," replied he, evading the subject, "I wanted to see you about
shipping some cocoa. I've got a good lot ready, and you may as well
take it as anybody else."

"Oh, I see," rejoined the captain, winking in a confidential way at dad,
as if they had some secret between them. "We can talk over the bills of
lading and so on, while the youngster has a run round to see what a ship
is like, eh?"

"Yes," said dad; and turning to me he added, "You would like to go over
the _Josephine_, would you not, Tom, now you are on board her?"

"Rather!" I replied, delighted at the idea, but still wondering what
the captain had meant about "taking me home."

There was evidently something on the tapis.

"All right, my hearty, so you shall," said Captain Miles. "The
boatswain will take you round and show you the ropes, while your father
and I have a chat about business matters."

He the