joying his
confusion, as a last resource the lad looked at his mother, to find she
had ready for him a tender smile.

"And she put three extra lumps of sugar in my tea," said Mark to
himself. "I never felt so ashamed of anything in my life."

To make matters worse, the major began in a loud voice to talk about the
heroic deeds of boys as found in history, and though the saloon cabin
was hot enough before, it seemed now to Mark that it was tropical, and
he was only too glad to go out on deck and wipe his streaming face in
the company of Bruff and Jack the monkey, who, from becoming the
companion of the dog, was willing enough to transfer some of his
friendliness to the dog's master.

But even here he was not left in peace, for Billy Widgeon came up to
compliment him on his climbing.

"Look ye here, Mr Strong, sir, you'll do it. You come up with me and
we'll go right up to the main-topgallant cross-trees to-morrow. I'll
see as you don't fall."

"Oh, bother the climbing!" cried Mark. "I wish there wasn't a bit of
rigging in the ship."

"But we couldn't get on without rigging, Mr Mark, sir," said the little
sailor taking the impatient words literally. "See how them sails is
spread. Rigging's a fine thing, sir; so's a ship. You be a sailor,
sir, and when you're a skipper you have me for your bosun. I aren't so
big as old Small, but I'd put a deal o' heart into it, and keep the men
up to the mark."

"Oh, I shall never be a captain," said Mark impatiently.

"I don't know so much about that, sir. All the lads says as it was
wonderful the way you went up after the rat."

"After the what!"

"Rat, sir. The lads calls that stowaway chap the rat because he made
hisself a hole down in the cargo. Lor' a me, think of a thing like that
calling hisself a man!"

"But he has been half starved, Billy, and kicked about in the world.
Perhaps if you'd been brought down as low you would have been as great a
coward."

"Hah! I never thought o' that," said Billy scratching his head. "I
say, Mr Mark, sir, how you do put things. But no, sir, you aren't
right--leastwise not quite, you see; because if I'd been brought down
like that, and felt as scared as he did, I wouldn't have let anyone
know, fear o' being laughed at."

"You don't know and I don't know, so we can't discuss it," said Mark.
"Here, what are you going to do?"

"Ketch Master Jack and take him to his snuggery. He's a-getting into
bad habits since your d