he smartest sailor he had on board.

The boatswain kept out of his way now as much as possible, for he had
heard that Salve had sworn to tear his entrails out if he gave him any
fresh cause for offence. The latter knew very well, though, that he was
meditating something against him, and was not surprised therefore at
being called aft one day to stand a formal trial before the captain for
the expression which he had used with regard to the boatswain, and which
he did not affect to deny, "as the boatswain," he said, "had wished to
take his life."

"I mean to leave the ship," he said, "the moment we come to Valparaiso.
I am only engaged so far. But, indeed, I care little what becomes of
me," he ended, gloomily.

The captain probably had his own notions with regard to the boatswain,
as Salve escaped the severe punishment he had expected, and was only
condemned to solitary confinement for fourteen days on bread-and-water.

"That will take you down a bit, my lad," said the captain.

The boatswain, however, made up for the leniency of his superior by a
little ingenuity of his own; and every day, when Salve was enjoying his
meagre fare in his place of confinement, the mulatto, whom he had
triumphed over, by the boatswain's orders, took his dinner of hot meat
and ate it outside the door, close to the hole through which the light
was admitted, that the savoury smell might make its way in and tantalise
him.

At first, Salve rather enjoyed the repose which his confinement afforded
him; but as his hunger increased he grew irritable, and at dinner-time
one day he approached his face to the opening.

"Mulatto!" he began; and the other looked up and grinned with his white
teeth, pleased to see some sign at last that his attentions had not been
thrown away--"that's good food you have there."

"Excellent," replied the other, mischievously, and with an inward
chuckle.

"It makes me picture to myself your future," Salve continued, placidly,
"how it will be with you when I come out again. You will be like that
lobscouse, my friend. Had that never occurred to you?"

The mulatto went on eating, but grew absent. His nature, as before
observed, was not a courageous one, and it was obvious that his food at
last began to stick in his throat.

"It is much the same as if you were sitting there and feeding on
yourself," said Salve, after a longer pause, during which he had watched
the other's lengthening countenance. "That's just what i