justice to the good things
provided, but he was so fully engaged that he did not notice that the
young man on his daughter's right, had slipped away to another seat.
Wyck came down and seeing the vacant chair, took possession of it, much
to the amusement of all around. While old Goody was engaged in devouring
a large helping of curry, and was in the act of raising his cup to wash
down an extra large mouthful, he suddenly caught sight of Wyck talking
to his daughter. His amazement, his rage and his greediness acting
altogether at the same moment, brought about a calamity. He tried to
swallow his food; he tried to put down his cup; he tried to swear and he
tried to catch hold of Wyck all at once, and the result was disaster.
The curry stuck in his throat, the coffee spilt all down his
shirt-front, and in the struggle his chair gave way beneath him and he
was landed on the floor with half the table on the top of him. There he
lay sputtering, kicking and swearing, and the shrieks of laughter from
the other passengers were almost deafening; in fact so great was the
noise that the steerage passengers and crew came bolting to the cabin.
Goody was borne off to his cabin, and he kept his daughter by him until
we were at the wharf. We all supposed that Wyck was a lover of hers, but
since then I have heard he met her here for the first time. But there
goes the breakfast bell, and you had better secure your chairs," said
he, abruptly, and as the captain came on deck he hustled the two from
the bridge.

When Wilson's watch was up, he again came aft to his two friends, and
suggested they should go with him to the fore-cabin where they could see
some fun, as there were a great number of miners making for Tasmania at
that time, and the boat was crowded with them. Although only allowed to
carry sixty, nearly double that number was on board and, in consequence,
some little trouble was experienced in serving their meals.

"Now watch the fun," said Wilson, as two dirty-looking stewards came
from the galley, each carrying two large tin dishes smoking from the
fire. One contained chops, the other boiled potatoes. These they placed
on a table, and the whole of the miners rushed and scrambled for them.

From the seething mass of human beings one would emerge with a chop in
one hand, and a potato in the other, and race away to a quiet corner to
enjoy them. It looked like a huge monkey-cage at feeding-time.

After this sensation, Reg and Hal