low," said Bill; "we want to have a talk with you."

"Can't," said the boy. "I've got my work to do. I haven't got time to
talk."

He stayed up on deck until evening, and then, the men's anger having
evaporated somewhat, crept softly below, and climbed into his bunk.
Simpson leaned over and made a clutch at him, but Bill pushed him aside.

"Leave him alone," said he quietly; "we'll take it out of him
to-morrow."

For some time Tommy lay worrying over the fate in store for him, and
then, yielding to fatigue, turned over and slept soundly until he was
awakened some three hours later by the men's voices, and, looking out,
saw that the lamp was alight and the crew at supper, listening quietly
to Bill, who was speaking.

"I've a good mind to strike, that's what I've a good mind to do," he
said savagely, as, after an attempt at the butter, he put it aside and
ate dry biscuit.

"An' get six months," said old Ned. "That won't do, Bill."

"Are we to go a matter of six or seven days on dry biscuit and rotten
taters?" demanded the other fiercely. "Why, it's slow sooicide."

"I wish one of you would commit sooicide," said Ned, looking wistfully
round at the faces, "that 'ud frighten the old man, and bring him round
a bit."

"Well, you're the eldest," said Bill pointedly.

"Drowning's a easy death too," said Simpson persuasively. "You can't
have much enjoyment in life at your age, Ned?"

"And you might leave a letter behind to the skipper, saying as 'ow you
was drove to it by bad food," said the cook, who was getting excited.

"Talk sense!" said the old man very shortly.

"Look here," said Bill suddenly. "I tell you what we can do: let one
of us pretend to commit suicide, and write a letter as Slushy here ses,
saying as 'ow we're gone overboard sooner than be starved to death. It
'ud scare the old man proper; and p'raps he'd let us start on the other
meat without eating up this rotten stuff first."

"How's it to be done?" asked Simpson, staring.

"Go an' 'ide down the fore 'old," said Bill. "There's not much stuff
down there. We'll take off the hatch when one of us is on watch
to-night, and--whoever wants to--can go and hide down there till the old
man's come to his senses. What do you think of it, mates?"

"It's all right as an idea," said Ned slowly, "but who's going?"

"Tommy," replied Bill simply.

"Blest if I ever thought of him," said Ned admiringly; "did you,
cookie?"

"Never crossed my mind," said the