ight do 'im good. But come, I'll take you
under my wing for the present, because your partikler owner, Ebbysneezer
Smith, ain't come aboard yet--ashore dissipatin', I suppose,--an'
everybody's so busy gettin' ready to start that nobody will care to be
bothered with you, so come along."

There was same truth in this eccentric youths' remarks, for in the
bustle of preparation for an early start every one on board seemed to be
so thoroughly engrossed with his own duty that he had no time to attend
to anything else, and Robin had begun to experience, in the absence of
his "partikler owner," an uneasy sensation of being very much in
people's way. As he felt strangely attracted by the off-hand
good-humoured impudence of his new friend, he consented to follow him,
and was led to a small apartment, somewhere in the depths of the mighty
ship, in which several youths, not unlike Slagg, were romping. They
had, indeed, duties to perform like the rest, but the moment chanced to
be with them a brief period of relaxation, which they devoted to
skylarking.

"Hallo who have you got here?" demanded a large clumsy youth, knocking
off Slagg's cap as he asked the question.

"Come, Stumps, don't you be cheeky," said Slagg, quietly picking up his
cap and putting it on; "this is a friend o' mine--one o' the
electricians,--so you needn't try to shock _his_ feelin's, for he can
give better than he gets. He's got no berth yet, so I brought 'im here
to show him hospitality."

"Oh, indeed," said Mr Stumps, bowing with mock respect; then, turning
to the comrade with whom he had been skylarking, "Here, Jeff, supply
this _gentleman_ with food."

Jeff, entering into Stumps' humour, immediately brought a plate of
broken ship-biscuit with a can of water, and set them on the table
before Robin. Our hero, who had never been accustomed to much jesting,
took the gift in earnest, thanked Jeff heartily, and, being hungry, set
to work with a will upon the simple fare, while Stumps and Jeff looked
at each other and winked.

"Come, I can add something to improve that feast," said Slagg, drawing a
piece of cheese from his pocket, and setting it before his friend.

Robin thanked him, and was about to take the cheese when Stumps snatched
it up, and ran out of the room with it, laughing coarsely as he went.

"The big bully," growled Slagg; "it's quite obvious to me that feller
will have to be brought to his marrow-bones afore long."

"Never mind," sai