ss upon your generosity to the
extent of begging another."

"Right you are," said the mate, cordially. "I'll slip down below and
fetch ye one, and a cake o' baccy. I'll not be gone a moment."

And away the man went, eager, as most British sailors are, to do a
kindness to a fellow-sailor in distress. He speedily returned with a
new short clay, and a cake of tobacco, which he handed to Leslie with
the remark that he knew what it was to be without pipe or tobacco, and
could therefore sympathise with him. Leslie was soon deep in the
enjoyment of the first smoke that he had had for some eighteen hours;
and while he was still at it he saw Miss Trevor emerge from the
companion and gaze somewhat anxiously about her.

As she stepped out on deck, Potter, who had been leaning moodily over
the quarter-deck rail, puffing away at a strong cigar, sprang upright
and advanced eagerly toward her, with one hand held out, and his cap in
the other. She returned his somewhat grotesque bow with a cold
stateliness for which Leslie felt that he could have hugged her; and
then, seeing that the man would not be denied, she allowed her hand to
rest in his for just the barest fraction of a second. As Leslie
approached, he heard Potter anxiously inquiring after her welfare, and
doing the honours of his ship generally, with a ludicrous affectation of
manner that amused him greatly, and even brought the ghost of a smile to
the face of the girl.

Leslie made the polite inquiries demanded by the occasion, learning in
return that Miss Trevor felt very much better for her long rest; and
then he turned to the skipper, and said--

"Before going below I mentioned to your mate that some wreckage--
apparently from the _Golden Fleece_--was floating at no great distance;
and I left a message with him for you, suggesting that you should run
down and examine it, upon the off-chance that there might be some people
clinging to it. Did you do so?"

"I did not, sir," answered Potter. "I'd have you know, in the first
place, Mister--Leslie--if that's your name--that I'm cap'n aboard my own
ship, and take orders from nobody but my owners. In the next place, I
took a good look at the wreckage through the glass, and saw that there
was nobody on it; so, you see, there was no use in running the brig away
off her course."

"But, my good fellow--" remonstrated Leslie.

"Now, look here," broke in Potter, "don't you try to come the officer
over me, and dictate