tool. All round the room big barrels stood
against the walls, fastened at the bottom so they wouldn't tumble with
the rolling of the ship; and above the barrels, pewter jugs of all
sizes hung from wooden pegs. There was a strong, winey smell. And in
the middle of the floor sat a little boy, about eight years old, crying
bitterly.

"I declare, it is the pirates' rum-room!" said Jip in a whisper.

"Yes. Very rum!" said Gub-Gub. "The smell makes me giddy."

The little boy seemed rather frightened to find a man standing there
before him and all those animals staring in through the hole in the
broken door. But as soon as he saw John Dolittle's face by the light
of the match, he stopped crying and got up.

"You aren't one of the pirates, are you?" he asked.

And when the Doctor threw back his head and laughed long and loud, the
little boy smiled too and came and took his hand.

"You laugh like a friend," he said--"not like a pirate. Could you tell
me where my uncle is?"

"I am afraid I can't," said the Doctor. "When did you see him last?"

"It was the day before yesterday," said the boy. "I and my uncle were
out fishing in our little boat, when the pirates came and caught us.
They sunk our fishing-boat and brought us both on to this ship. They
told my uncle that they wanted him to be a pirate like them--for he was
clever at sailing a ship in all weathers. But he said he didn't want to
be a pirate, because killing people and stealing was no work for a good
fisherman to do. Then the leader, Ben Ali, got very angry and gnashed
his teeth, and said they would throw my uncle into the sea if he didn't
do as they said. They sent me downstairs; and I heard the noise of a
fight going on above. And when they let me come up again next day, my
uncle was nowhere to be seen. I asked the pirates where he was; but
they wouldn't tell me. I am very much afraid they threw him into the
sea and drowned him."

And the little boy began to cry again.

"Well now--wait a minute," said the Doctor. "Don't cry. Let's go and
have tea in the dining-room, and we'll talk it over. Maybe your uncle
is quite safe all the time. You don't KNOW that he was drowned, do
you? And that's something. Perhaps we can find him for you. First
we'll go and have tea--with strawberry-jam; and then we will see what
can be done."

All the animals had been standing around listening with great
curiosity. And when they had gone into the ship's dining