de of."

The boatswain, spurred by Captain Gillespie's rejoinder, was the first
to dive down again into the dark receptacle, where he had previously
been searching to find room for stowing the cable, the anchor having
been hoisted inboard and the chain unshackled on the ship now getting to
sea; and, Tim was quickly followed below by a couple of the other hands,
as many as could comfortably squeeze into the narrow space at their
command.

"On deck, there!" presently called out Tim Rooney from beneath, his
voice sounding hollow and far off.

"Some av ye bind owver the coamin' av the hatch an' hilp us to raise the
poor divil!"

A dozen eager hands were immediately stretched downwards; and, the next
instant, between them all they lifted out of the forepeak the limp body
of a ragged youth, who seemed to be either already dead or dying, not a
movement being discernible in the inert, motionless figure as it was
laid down carefully by the men on the deck, looking like a corpse.

Captain Gillespie, however, was not deceived by these appearances.

"Sluice some water over his face," cried he, after leaning down and
putting his hand on his chest; "he's only swooned away or shamming, for
he's breathing all right. Look, his shirt is moving up and down now."

"I think he must be pretty far gone with starvation," observed Mr
Mackay, bending over the unconscious lad, too, and scrutinising his
pinched features and bony frame. "He could only have stowed himself
down there when we were loading in the docks, and it is now over three
days since we cleared out and started down the river."

"Humph!" growled Captain Gillespie, "the confounded skulker has only
brought it on himself, and sarve him right, too."

"Shame!" groaned one of the men, a murmur of reproach running round
amongst the rest, in sympathy with this expression of opinion against
such an inhuman speech, making the captain look up and cock his ears and
sniff with his long nose, trying to find out who had dared to call him
to account. But, of course, he was unable to do so; and, after glaring
at those near as if he could have "eaten them without salt," as the
saying goes, he bent his eyes down again on Mr Mackay and the
boatswain. These were trying to resuscitate the unfortunate stowaway in
a somewhat more humane way than the captain had suggested; for, while
the mate opened his collar and shirt and lifted his head on his knee,
Tim Rooney sprinkled his face smartly wi