t. Bruin, who had a handful of hard biscuit
before him to munch, was behaving himself very well. Hemming kept
serving out the soup with the greatest gravity amid roars of laughter,
not a little increased by Pigeon's perplexed countenance. What to do he
could not decide. He felt that a joke was being played off on him, but
he was too much afraid to resent it, or show his indignation, and
therefore he did the very best thing he could have done under the
circumstances, he went on eating his soup without speaking. All might
have ended well had not Quirk, not understanding fully the proprieties
of the dinner-table, darted out his paw and seized a lump of potato from
the soup-plate. Pigeon could not stand this, but shoving the denied
plate from him, he made a dash with his spoon at Quirk's face, almost
knocking some of his teeth down his throat. The monkey retaliated, and
not without Jack's utmost exertions could quiet be restored; I will not
say peace or harmony, because that was out of the question.

"I beg pardon, Mr Pigeon, we thought you might like the companionship
of our foreign guests, as you are supposed to have some qualities in
common," said Hemming, in a grave tone. "But as you do not appear to
admire their society, pray remove to the other side of the berth, where
you will be more at your ease."

Pigeon was glad enough of an excuse to get away, but he was puzzled to
settle whether it was safer to pass the bear or the monkey. At length
he decided to get behind the former. At that moment Bruin took it into
his head to lift up his huge back, and catching poor Pigeon between the
legs, he sent him right into the middle of the table, with his head into
the soup-dish, while Quirk, delighted at the opportunity, caught hold of
his heels, and getting a kick, sprang in revenge on the part of his body
most exposed to attack, which he bit till the wretched victim roared
with pain, and Jack had by main force hauled him off. Hemming and
Murray, with others, as soon as their laughter would allow them, dragged
Pigeon off the table, apologising with tears in their eyes for the
mishap which had occurred. Pigeon's first impulse was to roar out for a
basin and towel to wash off the soup from his face; and when his
features were made clean, though earnestly pressed to come back, nothing
could persuade him to take his seat till Bruin and Quirk were removed
from the berth. In truth the mess were not sorry to get rid of them