al expression for a mattress staffed
with straw.

CHAPTER II.

THE MAYNARDS.

A quarter of an hour's walk through the dimly lighted and squalid
streets which intersect Miller's Point and Church Hill brought Barry
out into the glare and noise of the lower part of the principal
thoroughfares of the city, which, boisterous as was the night, was
fairly thronged with the poorer class of people engaged in their
Saturday night's shopping.

Pushing his way through the crowd in no very gentle manner, for he was
both wet and hungry, he at last reached a respectable-looking
second-class hotel at the corner of George and Bridge streets. The
house was much frequented by men of his own position in the merchant
service, and, as he walked into the comfortable parlour and stood by
the fire to warm himself, he was greeted by all the occupants of the
room--four decently dressed mates or second mates.

"You look pretty wet," said an old red-faced man, moving his chair
further away from the fire, so as to give the newcomer more room; "why
didn't you take your oilskins with you when you went out?"

Barry laughed with the utmost good-nature. "Because Uncle Levi Harris
down the street is taking care of them for me, Mr. Todd. And he's got
my watch and chain, and my sextant and some other things as well."

The four men--mere casual acquaintances of a few weeks' standing--gave
a sympathetic murmur, and then one of them in a deep, rumbling kind of
voice, and without even looking at Barry, inquired if he could "do with
a change of togs?"

"Much obliged to you, Mr. Watson," replied the young man, "but I'll be
all right now. I've got a ship, the skipper has given me an advance
out of his own pocket, and as soon as I get my watch and other things
out of old Levi's I'm going up the town to buy some clothes."

"You ain't going into a pawnshop yourself, are you?" inquired Todd.
"Don't you do it, young fellow. Why, the skipper as give you the
advance might see you going in, and chuck it up in your teeth again
some day."

"Aye, that's true," said another; "men like us can't run the risk of
being seen even looking in at a pawnshop window."

"Well, as I can't get any one to go for me, I must go myself," said
Barry, who was quick to perceive that his companions thought nothing of
a man having to avail himself of a pawnbroker's shop, but did think it
exceedingly improper to be seen entering or leaving one.

"Leave it till Monday morn