e sailor. "He could take hold
pretty tight, eh?"

"Take hold and keep hold," said Mark, who could not help a feeling of
envy creeping into his breast--envy of the easy-looking, active little
man who was to be his father's companion over the seas to wonderland.

"He looks as if he would," said the sailor after a few moments' pause.
"I say, youngster, I'd rayther be ins with him than outs."

"What! rather be friends than enemies?"

"That's it, youngster. I say, what are you going to be--first-mate, and
skipper arter?"

"No," said Mark, speaking in the same low tone as his questioner; "I'm
not going to be a sailor."

"Lor!"

"It is not decided what I'm to be yet."

"Arn't it now? Why, if you'd come to sea along o' us what a lot I could
ha' taught you surety. Why, I could ha' most made a man of you."

"Here, Widgeon," said the captain sharply, "take that back to Mr
Gregory, and tell him I shall be aboard to-morrow."

"Right, sir," said the sailor, giving his head a duck and his right leg
another kick out--courtesies called forth by the well-furnished room and
the soft carpet, for on the bare deck of the ship he put off his manners
with his shore-going clothes. "Day, sir. Day, youngster. Day,
shipmet."

This last was intended for the dog; but, a few moments before, Bruff had
slowly risen, crossed the room, and drawn the door open by inserting one
paw in the crack, and then passed through.

"Why, he arn't there!" said Billy Widgeon after a glance round. "My
sarvice to him all the same," he added, and went out.

The door had hardly closed when there was the sound of a rush, a roar,
the fall of a chair, a crash of china, and a stentorian "Ahoy!"

"I shall have to kill that dog," cried the captain, as he and Mark
rushed into the hall, where Bruff was barking and growling savagely.

"Down, Bruff!" shouted Mark, seizing the dog by the collar and enforcing
his order by pressing his head down upon the oil-cloth, and setting one
knee upon his side. "Why, where's--"

Mark did not finish, but burst into a roar of laughter, in which his
father joined, as they both gazed up at the little sailor.

Explanation of the state of affairs was not needed, for matters spoke
for themselves.

It was evident that Bruff had, for some reason, made a rush at Billy
Widgeon, who had leaped upon a hall chair, from thence upon the table,
upsetting the chair in his spring. From the table he had leaped to the
top of a great c