was handed to him, he confessed that he had judged his old
friend hastily. Thereafter he related succinctly his adventures in the
"Butterfly" up to the point where we left him sound asleep in the
skipper's berth.

"How long I slept," said Tommy, continuing the narrative, "I am not
quite sure; but it must have been a longish time, for it was somewhere
in a Tuesday when I lay down, and it was well into a Thursday when I got
up, or rather was knocked up by the bow of a thousand-ton ship! It was
a calm evening, with just a gentle breeze blowin' at the time, and a
little hazy. The look out in the ship did not see the schooner until he
was close on her; then he yelled `hard-a-lee!' so I was told, for I
didn't hear it, bein', as I said, sound asleep. But I heard and felt
what followed plain enough. There came a crash like thunder. I was
pitched head-foremost out o' the berth, and would certainly have got my
neck broken, but for the flimsy table in the cabin, which gave way and
went to pieces under me, and thus broke my fall. I got on my legs, and
shot up the companion like a rocket. I was confused enough, as you may
suppose, but I must have guessed at once what was wrong--perhaps the
rush of water told it me--for I leaped instantly over the side into the
sea to avoid being sucked down by the sinking vessel. Down it went sure
enough, and I was so near it that in spite of my struggles I was carried
down a long way, and all but choked. However, up I came again like a
cork. You always said I was light-headed, Bax, and I do believe that
was the reason I came up so soon!

"Well, I swam about for ten minutes or so, when a boat rowed up to the
place. It had been lowered by the ship that ran me down. I was picked
up and taken aboard, and found that she was bound for Australia!

"Ha! that just suited you, I fancy," said Bax.

"Of course it did, but that's not all. Who d'ye think the ship belonged
to? You'll never guess;--to your old employers, Denham, Crumps, and
Company! She is named the `Trident,' after the one that was lost, and
old Denham insisted on her sailing on a Friday. The sailors said she
would be sure to go to the bottom, but they were wrong, for we all got
safe to Melbourne, after a very good voyage.

"Well, I've little more to tell now. On reaching Melbourne I landed--"

"Without a sixpence in your pocket?" asked Bax.

"By no means," said Tommy, "I had five golden sovereigns sewed up in the
waist-