ose dog's that?"

"Mine, sir."

"Then just take him ashore. I don't allow dogs on my deck. Here, I
say, you sir," he roared, turning to where the men were making fast the
hooks of a kind of derrick to a great package, protected by an open-work
lattice of deal, "hadn't you better take that crate of pottery first,
and put at the bottom, and then stow that portable steam-engine on the
top."

The man addressed--a red-faced, good-humoured-looking sailor, whose bare
arms formed a sort of picture-gallery of subjects tattooed in blue--
rubbed his ear and stared.

"Why, the ironwork's heavy and might break the pottery," he said at
last.

"Well, won't it break that light carriage, you double-distilled,
round-headed wise man of the west, you! Put the heavy goods at the
bottom and the light at the top."

"Ay, ay, sir!" shouted the man. "Bear a hand, lads. Now, then."

He unhooked the tackle and attached another great package, while the
tall man turned again upon Mark.

"Did you hear what I said about that dog?"

"Yes, I heard," said Mark; "but he's coming part of the way."

"That he is not, my lad, so off you go!"

"Hullo, youngster!" said a cheery voice; and Mark turned sharply, to
find the little squatty sailor before him, in tarry trousers and flannel
shirt, bare-headed and heated with work.

"Hullo, Widgeon!" cried Mark.

"Hullo, shipmet!" cried the little sailor. "Now, then, just you mind,
or--"

He did not finish, but made a peculiar gesture as if he were about to
pitch the dog over the side.

"Here, show this young gentleman the way ashore," said the tall man.
"Take the dog first."

"No, thankye," said the sailor grinning, "me and him's friends now,
aren't we, shipmet? We won't begin by falling out again."

He stooped down and patted Bruff, who blinked up at him, and gave his
bushy tail two wags, after which he walked slowly to the tall officer
and began to smell his legs.

"Stop: don't do that!" cried Mark, as he saw the officer draw back as if
to deliver a kick.

"Nay, don't you kick him, Mr Gregory, sir," said Widgeon. "If you do,
he'll take hold; and I know this here sort, you can't get them off again
without a knife."

"Are you Mr Gregory?" said Mark.

"Yes, sir, I am; and what then?" cried the mate angrily.

"My name is Strong, and I'm going with my father as far as Penzance."

"You may go with your father as far as Shanghai if you like, young man,"
said the mate angrily; "but I'