meter hung in gimbals; and immediately over the chair at the fore
end of the table hung a tell-tale compass. The table was laid with a
damask table-cloth that had seen better days, and, no doubt, had once
been white, while the ware was white and of that thick and solid
character that defies breakage. A well-filled bread barge, containing
ordinary ship biscuit, stood at one end of the table, flanked by a dish
of butter on one side and a pot of jam on the other; the tray was placed
at the starboard side of the table, and amidships, at the fore end,
there stood a dish containing a large lump of salt beef behind three
plates, with a carving knife and fork alongside them. To the chair in
front of these, or at the head of the table, the man who was acting the
part of host now waved a hand, mutely inviting me to take it.

"Certainly not," I said. "You are the master of the ship, I presume,
and, as such, this is of course your rightful place. Why should you
surrender it to me?"

"Ah, but that's just where you make a mistake, Mr--er--er--I forget
your name. No, I'm not the skipper; I'm the bosun, and my name's
Enderby--John Enderby. And this man,"--indicating an individual who at
this moment joined us--"is William Johnson, the carpenter--otherwise
`Chips'."

"Then, where is your skipper--and your mate?" I demanded.

"That's what we're in distress about," answered the boatswain. "Sit
down, sir, please, and let's get on with our tea; and while we're
gettin' of it I'll spin ye the yarn. That's why me and Chips is havin'
tea down here, aft, this afternoon. At other times we messes with the
rest of the men in the fo'c'sle; but as soon as you comed aboard we all
reckernised that you'd want to know the ins and outs of this here
traverse that we finds ourselves in, so 'twas arranged that me and Chips
should have tea with ye, and explain the whole thing."

"I see," said I. "Well, you may heave ahead while I carve this beef. I
can do that and listen at the same time."

"Yes," assented Enderby. Then, breathing deeply, he gazed steadfastly
at the clock for so long a time and with an air of such complete
abstraction that at length Chips, who was sitting on the locker
alongside him, gave him an awakening nudge of the elbow, accompanied by
the injunction:

"Heave ahead, man; heave ahead! You'll never get under way if you don't
show better than this."

"Ay, you're right there, my lad, I shan't, and that's a fact," return