ory and the others advanced from forward, stepping aft
along the main-deck one by one to the number of a round dozen or more,
the crowd halting and forming themselves into a ring under the poop
ladder, above which the captain had fixed his chair, looking as if they
"meant business."

"Hullo!" cried "Old Jock" rousing himself up, rather surprised at the
demonstration. "What are you fellows doing below there?"

"We wants meat," replied the carpenter, taking off his straw hat and
giving a scrape back with his left foot, so as to begin politely at any
rate. "We aren't got enough to eat in the fo'c's'le, sir, an' we wants
our proper 'lowance o' meat, instead of a lot of rotten kickshaw
marmalade!"

"Wh-a-at--what the dickens d'ye mean?" roared out "Old Jock," touched on
his tenderest point, the word "marmalade" to him having the same effect
as a red rag on a bull. "Didn't I tell ye if ye'd any complaints to
make, to come aft singly and I'd attend to 'em, but that if ye ever came
to me in a body I'd not listen to ye?"

"Aye, aye," said Gregory, "but--"

"Avast there!" shouted the captain interrupting him. "When I say a
thing I mean a thing; and so ye'd better go forrud again as quick as ye
can, or I'll come down and make ye!"

An indignant groan burst from the men at this; while "Jock" danced about
the poop brandishing a marlinespike he had clutched hold of, in a mighty
rage, storming away until the hands had all, very reluctantly, withdrawn
grumbling to the forecastle.

In the afternoon, they refused to turn out for duty; when, after a
terrible long palaver, in which Mr Mackay managed to smooth down
matters, the controversy was settled by all the men having half their
meat ration restored to them, and being obliged only to accept a half-
pound tin of marmalade in lieu of a larger quantity as previously. Both
sides consequently gained a sort of victory, the only person
discontented at this termination of the affair being the steward, Pedro,
who took a malicious pleasure in serving out the marmalade each day. I
often caught sight of him watching with a sort of fiendish glee the
disappointed faces of the hands as they looked at the open casks of pork
and beef, which he somewhat ostentatiously displayed before them, as if
to make them long all the more for such substantial fare.

I knew the Portuguese was upset at the amicable end of the difficulty
between the captain and crew, for I saw him stealthily awaiting th