m."

The little fellow frowned and looked pained.

"Got a name, haven't you?" said the sailor.

"Yes, of course," cried the boy. "Phil."

"Phil, eh?" said the sailor. "Phil what?"

"Leigh," was the reply.

"Phil Leigh, eh? Hard a-lee. Well, where do you live?"

"At Greyton," said the boy, slowly and sadly. "No, I used to live
there, till--till--till--"

"Yes, I know," said Jack, quickly, as he grasped the meaning of the
boy's working face. "But why don't you live there now?"

"Because uncle came," said the boy, with a shudder, "and then I--I--You
won't take me back, will you?"

"Dunno yet," said Jack, sternly. "Boys arn't got no business to run
away from home. Watcher run away for?"

"He used to beat me so."

"Beat you--a little un like you?" cried Jack, with a look of disgust.
"What with?"

"Walking stick."

"Thick un?" said Jack, and the boy nodded. "And didn't nobody stop
him?"

"Yes," said the little fellow quickly. "Aunt did."

"Who's aunt?" said Jack, sharply.

"Why, my aunt. She said it was a shame."

"Ha! I like her," said Jack, and he rubbed his hands. "But what did he
beat you for?"

"He said I was always crying," said the boy, piteously. "But I couldn't
help it."

"Course you couldn't," said Jack, softly. "You cried a-cause o' them
being took away, didn't you?"

The boy nodded sharply--he did not dare to speak.

"Ha!" sighed Jack Jeens, as he rubbed his hands softly together. "I
wish I'd been there. But I say, look here. And so you run away because
he whipped you?"

The boy nodded.

"And went on walking till I run again' you?"

"Yes," came like a sigh.

"Well, you see, you'll have to go back."

The little fellow dropped the piece of biscuit he held, and it fell with
a rap upon the deck, as he started to his feet, glanced out of the open
port-hole, and took a quick step or two towards it, darted off into the
darkness of the 'tween decks, the sailor catching a glimpse of him as he
passed the light shed by the lanthorns.

"Scared, that's what he is," muttered Jack. "Why, I do believe that in
his fright he'd ha' jumped into the water and swum for it sooner than be
sent back. Well, I must find him again; and it don't seem easy in a
great ship like this. Poor little chap, he was 'most ready to jump out
of his skin!"

Jack took a few steps cautiously in the direction followed by the little
fellow, but he had hardly started before the sound of a shrill whi