nk success to his scheme.

Three days passed, and the men stood firm, and, realising that they were
slowly undermining the skipper's convictions, made no effort to carry
him by direct assault. The mate made no attempt to conceal his opinion
of his superior's peril, and in gloomy terms strove to put the full
horror of his position before him.

"What your missis'll say the first time she sees you prancing up an'
down the road tapping a tambourine, I can't think," said he.

"I shan't have no tambourine," said Captain Bowers cheerfully.

"It'll also be your painful dooty to stand outside your father-in-law's
pub and try and persuade customers not to go in," continued Bob. "Nice
thing that for a quiet family!"

The skipper smiled knowingly, and, rolling a cigar in his mouth, leaned
back in his seat and cocked his eye at the skylight.

"Don't you worry, my lad," said he; "don't you worry. I'm in this job,
an' I'm coming out on top. When men forget what's due to their betters,
and preach to 'em, they've got to be taught what's what. If the wind
keeps fair we ought to be home by Sunday night or Monday morning."

The other nodded.

"Now, you keep your eyes open," said the skipper; and, going to his
state-room, he returned with three bottles of rum and a corkscrew, all
of which, with an air of great mystery, he placed on the table, and then
smiled at the mate. The mate smiled too.

"What's this?" inquired the skipper, drawing the cork, and holding a
bottle under the other's nose.

"It smells like rum," said the mate, glancing round, possibly for a
glass.

"It's for the men," said the skipper, "but you may take a drop."

The mate, taking down a glass, helped himself liberally, and, having
made sure of it, sympathetically, but politely, expressed his firm
opinion that the men would not touch it under any conditions whatever.

"You don't quite understand how firm they are," said he; "you think it's
just a new fad with 'em, but it ain't."

"They'll drink it," said the skipper, taking up two of the bottles.
"Bring the other on deck for me."

The mate complied, wonderingly, and, laden with prime old Jamaica,
ascended the steps.

"What's this?" inquired the skipper, crossing over to Dick, and holding
out a bottle.

"Pison, sir," said Dick promptly.

"Have a drop," said the skipper jovially.

"Not for twenty pounds," said the old man, with a look of horror.

"Not for two million pounds," said Sam, with financial