e vessel to see where she was, our attention from the moment we
gained the deck having been entirely taken up by the proceedings of the
little drama I have just narrated, which prevented us from making any
observations of the _mise en scene_, whether inboard or over the side.

Now, however, having a chance of looking about me, my first glance was
up aloft; and I noticed that the brig was under all plain sail, running
before the wind, which was almost dead aft. Being "light," that is
having no cargo on board beyond such ballast as was required to ensure
her stability when heeling over, she was rolling a good deal, lurching
from side to side as her canvas filled out to the breeze, with every
fresh puff of air.

Away to the left, over our port beam, I could see land in the distance,
which Jorrocks told me was the North Foreland--near Margate--a place
that I knew by name of course, although this information did not give me
any accurate idea of the brig's whereabouts; but, later on in the day,
when the vessel had run some fifteen or twenty miles further, steering
to the north-east, with the wind to the southward of west, we passed
through a lot of brackish mud-coloured water, close to a light-ship,
that my friend the boatswain said was the Kentish Knock, midway between
the mouth of the Thames and wash of the Humber, and it was only then
that I realised the fact, that we were running up the eastern coast of
England and were well on our way to Newcastle, for which port, as I've
intimated before, we were bound.

"Hurrah!" exclaimed Tom, when I mentioned this to him. "We'll soon then
be able to give that brute of a skipper the slip. I won't stop on board
this horrid brig a minute longer than I can help, Martin, you may be
certain!"

"Avast--belay that!" interposed Jorrocks, who was close behind, and
heard this confession. "Don't you count your chickens afore they're
hatched, young master! Take my word for it, the skipper won't let you
out of his sight 'fore you've paid him for your grub and passage."

"But how can he, when we've got no money?" asked Tom.

"That makes no difference," said Jorrocks, with an expressive wink that
spoke volumes. "You'll see if he don't make you work 'em out, and
that'll be as good to him as if you paid him a shiner or two. You jest
wait till we gets to Noocastle, my lad, and I specs you'll larn what
coal-screening is afore you've done with it."

"And what if we refuse?" inquired Tom, to