ell and treated the going of the brig as a good
joke on greenhorns.

"That beats me," said Ford, panting from his last exertions.

"An' me too," said Johnson. "If we'd had Tom and one or two more along
we'd have beat her easy. But ain't he a-comin' back at all at all?"

"I hardly think we'll see Captain Thompson any more this voyage,"
I answered savagely; "but by the Lord Harry, he's left his trunk
all right."

XXIII

When we rowed back to the ship, Trunnell was looking at us through the
glass up to the time we came under the _Pirate's_ counter. He evidently
could see that our skipper wasn't with us, and it seemed as if he could
not quite make up his mind to the fact, but must keep looking through the
telescope as though the powerful glass would bring the missing one into
view. We ran up to the channels, and he looked over the side. A line of
heads in the waist told of the curiosity among the men forward.

I said nothing, and nothing was said until the painter was made fast and
Ford had sprung on deck.

"He ain't with ye, Rolling?" asked Trunnell.

I was too much disgusted to answer. The empty boat was enough to satisfy
any reasonable person.

Chips came to the rail and leaned over as I came up the chain-plates.
"'Twas so, then? Th' raskil! But what makes th' bloody hooker move? She's
slantin' away as if th' devil himself ware holdin' av her fore foot!"

"Steam, you poor idiots," I cried out, in disgust, for it was evident
that even Trunnell couldn't tell what made the _Shark_ get headway,
although now the smoke poured handsomely from her masthead.

Trunnell scratched his bushy head and seemed to be thinking deeply. Then
he put down the glasses and led the way aft without a word, Chips and I
following. We went below and found Mrs. Sackett and Jennie in the saloon.

"Where's the captain?" they asked in a breath.

"Faith, an' he's changed ships, if ye please," said Chips.

"And left a little thing behind he would have liked to have taken with
him," I said.

"What was the matter?" they both asked.

Chips and I tried to tell, but we soon made a tangle of it, the only
thing coherent being the fact that the fellow was a crook and had left
his trunk behind. This was so heavy that Chips had failed to lift it.

"I always knew he was not a sea-captain," cried Jennie. "I don't see how
you men let him fool you so badly."

Chips and I looked at the mate, but he simply scratched his head.

"Discipline i