come on board the ship; now, however, that the skipper thus specially
entrusted me to his care, I looked across the deck, when I noticed that
his face seemed strangely familiar to me, although I could not exactly
say how and where I had seen him before, although I puzzled my head in
vain to guess who he was.

But, my quandary did not last very long; for, on Captain Billings
dismissing the men after the full-dress parade he had held on the
quarter-deck, the boatswain came up to me with a genial grin on his
hairy face.

"Hullo, Master Leigh," said he, "Who'd a' thought of us two meeting
ag'in like this?"

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE.

"What!" I exclaimed, in much amazement. "Is it really you, Jorrocks?
I can hardly believe my eyes!"

"Aye, aye, it's me sure enough," replied my old ally of the _Saucy
Sall_, shaking hands with great heartiness, as if he were really glad to
see me again under such altered circumstances. "It's me sure enough,
Master Leigh--that is, unless I've got some double of a twin brother, as
like me as two peas, a-sailing round in these latitudes!"

There could be no question of his identity after I had once heard the
tones of his well-remembered voice; but the beard which he had allowed
to grow since I had last seen him had so completely altered the
expression of his face, or rather indeed its entire appearance, that
there was some excuse for my not recognising him at the moment.

Jorrocks, however, he was without doubt; and, I need hardly say that I
was quite as much pleased at this unexpected meeting as he seemed to
be--albeit the sight of him, when I realised the fact that it was really
himself and heard his cheery familiar accents, brought back in an
instant to my mind the scene on board the coal brig that eventful day
when the _Saucy Sall's_ surly skipper discovered that Tom and I had
stolen a march on him, and treated us each to a dose of his sovereign
specific for stowaways!

"How is it, though, Jorrocks, that you've abandoned the brig?" I asked
him presently, when we had got over our mutual surprise at thus meeting
in such an unlooked-for fashion. "I thought you were a fixture there,
and didn't know you were a regular sailor--I mean one accustomed to sea-
going ships like this?"

I said this with much dignity, being greatly impressed with the
responsibility of my new position; and I'm sure I must have spoken as if
I were a post captain at least, addressing som