ood breakfast, and
obtained permission to use his tongue, had had his clothes dried, and
having dressed in them, looked every inch a midshipman, and spoke like
one also.

"Why, you see, Miss Margery, for I understand that is what you are
called, that matter is quickly settled. My name is Charles, or rather
Charley Blount. My father and mother are dead, and I was sent away
early to sea, and have been at sea ever since, and as I am very fond of
it I know more about it than most lads of my age. I was on my fifth
voyage home from India in the `Durham Castle,' and expected before long
to become a mate, when just in the chops of the Channel, our rigging
being slack, we lost all our masts, and at the same time the ship sprung
a leak. We little knew how bad it was, but instead of getting up
jury-masts, with which we might have steered the ship up Channel, the
crew were compelled to work at the pumps; but the leaks gained on us,
and so the poor old ship went down, with upwards of a hundred people on
board."

"Dreadful!" exclaimed Margery. "But how did you escape from the ship?"

"A few of us, when we found that nothing could save the ship, hurriedly
put together a small raft, but very few of the rest seemed inclined to
venture on it. Just as the ship was going down I sprang on to it with
five others; they lost their hold, and were washed off; I retained mine,
and was washed on shore, and now I think that I have told you all about
myself that you will care to know."

"Oh no! not by half!" answered Margery. "I want to know why the black
boy is so much attached to you, and how it was that papa when he picked
him up did not see you?"

"That I can easily account for," answered Charley, "as the ship went
down a thick fog came on, and I had drifted by up Channel; that is to
say, nearly east, before the boat coming more from the north had reached
the spot; and as to honest, faithful Crambo, I once upon a time picked
him out of the water as he last night helped to pick me out, and he has
ever since stuck by me, and I assure you that I value his friendship."

"Oh yes! I can easily understand that," said Margery. "I am reading
about a very interesting person, a great traveller, who had a black
servant called Friday, and they lived together on a desert island for a
long time--it must have been very delightful--but at last they got away.
I have not read the book through yet, but when I have I will tell you
more about it, and