towards me--a look I shall not soon forget--he kicked him with his
foot, crying--

"Here, give him a dozen with your strap, one of you."

He had but to say the words, when a colossal brute seized the boy in
his grip, and held his head down to the table board, while another, no
more gentle, stripped his shirt off, and struck him blow after blow
with the great buckle, so that the flesh was torn while the blood
trickled upon the floor. The brutal act stirred the others to a fine
merriment, yet for myself, I had all the will to spring up and grip the
striker as he stood, but Hall, who had covered my hand with his, held
it so surely, and with such prodigious strength, that my fingers almost
cracked. It was the true sign-manual for me to say nothing, and I
realised how hopeless such a struggle would be, and turned my head that
I should not see the cruel thing to the end.

When the lad fainted they gave him a few kicks with their heavy boots,
and he lay like a log on the floor, until the ruffian named "Roaring
John" picked him up and threw him into the next room. The incident was
forgotten at once, and Captain Black became quite merry.

"Bring in the victuals, you, John," he said, "and let Dick say us a
grace; he's been doing nothing but drink these eight hours."

Dick, a red-haired, penetrating-looking Scotsman, who carried the
economy of his race even to the extent of flesh, of which he was
sparse, greeted the reproof by casting down his eyes into the empty can
before him.

"Is a body to cheer himself wi' naething?" he asked; "not wi' a bit
food and drink after twa days' toil? It's an unreasonable man ye are,
Mister Black, an' I dinna ken if I'll remain another hoor as meenister
to yer vessel."

"Ho, ho, Dick the Ranter sends in his resignation; listen to that,
boys," said the Captain, who had found his humour again. "Dick will not
serve the honourable company any longer. Ho, swear for the strangers,
Dick, and let 'em hear your tongue."

The man, rascal and ill-tongued as I doubt not he was at times, refused
to comply with the demand as the food at length was put upon the table.
It was rich food, stews, with a profuse display of oysters, chickens,
boiled, roast, a la maitre d'hotel, fine French trifles, pasties,
ices--and it was to be washed down, I saw, by draughts from magnums of
Pommery and Greno. I was, at this stage, so well accustomed to the
scene that the novelty of a company of dirty, repulsive-looking sea