boats on the way to Glasgie."

"Does it? I've never been there."

"Eh, then she ha'e lost a gran' treat, laddie. There's plenty o' watter
here, but never a mountain, nor a toon glinting oot o' the shore. Look
yonder, laddie; there's a bit of a fesh."

"Porpoise!" cried Steve excitedly; "and another, and another. Why,
there's a regular shoal."

"Ay, after the herrin', maybe, laddie. See how they come up and turn
over, and dive doon again. Canny kind o' fesh a porpoise, but they're
much finer than these in the Clyde. I'm thenking, though, that we'll
ha'e to shorten sail a wee. It means wint."

Captain Marsham was evidently of the same opinion, for coming on deck
soon after he gave orders which resulted in a little of the canvas being
lowered down, and the _Hvalross_ then steadily continued her course
without sending the spray scattering in a brilliant shower over the
forward part of the deck.

While this was being done Steve passed the galley door again, and bit
his lip, for Watty, taking advantage of the cook's back being turned,
thrust out his head as if by accident, gave a sham start as if
astonished to see Steve, burst into a silent fit of laughter, which he
pretended to smother, and drew his head in again.

"I wonder whether it would hurt my shoulder much if I were to punch his
head?" thought Steve.

He walked on, feeling that he ought to treat the annoyance with
contempt; but even as he felt this he could not help looking back, when
he saw that Watty was watching him, but clapped his hand over his mouth
and drew in his head directly.

This was repeated again and again that day, as if the boy found some
satisfaction for his disgrace in annoying some one of his own years.
Steve pretended not to heed it; but so sure as he went forward Watty's
head was thrust out of the galley, and drawn back again, apparently to
conceal the uncontrollable mirth from which the lad pretended to be
suffering; while in spite of Steve's efforts all this stung him more and
more, till he felt as if he must do something by way of revenge.

It was not easy, and he knew that it was _infra dig_ even to show that
he was annoyed, let alone attempting to "serve the boy out," as he
termed it; but the desire to give Watty some punishment for his
annoyance increased.

The opportunity came at last; the extent of Steve's forbearance was at
an end. He was going forward to join the four Norwegians, who were busy
preparing one of the