and seized his collar.

"Not do it, eh! You scoundrel! what do you mean by this hiding down in
that hold and giving us hours of work to get out your wretched carcass,
eh?"

"Please, sir--forgive me, sir. Let me off this time, sir."

"Kick the poor wretch out of the ship and let him go," said the
second-mate in a low voice.

"Let him go! Not I. I'm going to flog him and then hand him over to
the police."

"Ay, ay," rose in chorus from the men, who, now that they had with all
respect to humanity saved the interloper's life, were quite ready to see
him punished for his wrong-doing, and the trouble and extra labour he
had caused.

"There, you idle vagabond, you hear what the jury of your own countrymen
say."

"Let me off this time, sir. I was nearly killed down there."

"Nearly killed, you scoundrel! Serve you right; trying to steal a
passage and food from the owner of this ship. How dare you do it?"

"I--I wanted to go abroad so badly, sir," said the shivering wretch.
"I'd no money, and no friends."

"I should think not indeed. Who'd make a friend, do you think, of you?"

"Nobody, sir. I did try lots of captains to take me as a sailor, but no
one would."

"Why, of course they wouldn't, you scoundrel!" stormed the first-mate.
"Can you reef and splice and take your turn at the wheel?"

"No, sir," whimpered the man.

"Can you go aloft without tumbling down and breaking somebody's head
instead of your own idle neck? Could you lay out on the foretop yard?"

"No, sir, but--but I'd try, sir, I would indeed, if you'd let me."

"Let the poor wretch go, Gregory," whispered the second-mate.

"Sha'n't!" snapped the first-mate; and as he raged and stormed Mark felt
more than ever that this was the real captain of the ship, and that his
father must occupy a very secondary position.

"I would work so hard," said the poor fellow piteously. "I only want to
get into another country and try again."

"At our owner's expense, eh? Do you think the crew here want you?"

"No, no," rose in chorus; and Mark's heart gave a leap of sympathy, and
anger against the men.

"There, you hear, you idle, cheating vagabond. Where did you want to
go?"

"Anywhere, sir, anywhere. Do let me go!"

"Yes, to the police station. You'll have to answer for all this."

Mark looked at the poor, wretched, piteous face, and then up at the
mate, whose countenance was like cast-iron with the tip of his nose
red-hot. He glanced