"`There are times when a man mustn't be over particular,' said his
visitor. `You're a fool if you don't say yes, so just come on deck and
sign articles. You'll learn all about this craft afterwards.'

"`No, no,' said Toney; `I never buy a pig in a poke. Tell me what?
Want to know, then I'll tell you whether I'll join or not.'

"`You'll join, whether you like it or not,' said his visitor with a
growl. `You've chosen to come aboard, and we don't allow idlers.'

"`I didn't choose to come aboard,' said Toney. `Somebody brought me
aboard when I was obfuscated, I suppose, and I'll have a reckoning with
that somebody before long.'

"`If that's your notion you'll stay where you are,' said his visitor,
and he slammed the door and bolted it.

"Toney was a determined fellow, but there was one thing he couldn't
stand, and that was hunger. He got worse and worse. He could not
sleep, and he could not shout out. By the time his visitor came again
he was as meek as a lamb.

"`Are you going to join or are you not?' was the question.

"`I give in,' said Toney.

"`Come along then,' said his visitor.

"Toney crawled out and up the ladder of the main hatchway. He found
that he was on board a brigantine, a rakish-looking craft, with several
officers standing aft by the captain, and a numerous crew, among whom he
saw Joe Gubbins. He couldn't help lifting his fist and shaking it at
Joe, who stood with a brazen face looking as if the threat could not be
intended for him.

"`Are you hungry, my man?' asked an officer, whom he supposed to be the
captain.

"`Can't say but what I am,' said Toney.

"`Then there'll be plenty of grub for you when you've signed these
articles.'

"`Should like to know what they are, sir,' said Toney.

"`There's the book; you may read them,' said the captain. `Put your
name down at the bottom of the page.'

"Now Toney was no great hand at reading or writing. He could just
manage to scrawl his name. He tried to make out what the articles were
about, but it was more than he could do.

"`Come, my man, are you ready for your grub?' asked the captain.

"Toney felt as if he should drop if he didn't get something to eat, and
just then a whiff from the galley came across his nose. He took the pen
and managed to write his name, in a fashion.

"`That'll do, my man,' says the captain. `You're now one of the crew,
and under my orders. We've pretty strict discipline aboard here.
There's the y