e from the unventilated room which was
lighted by an old kerosene lamp, and the crowd pushed to the gangway to
get up on deck. The boatswain thundered "Back", and to make his words
emphatic as well as intelligible, drew his revolver. The men went
back, and Lihoa brought his nephew, the small Peppo, to the foot of the
gangway. "Tell him that he is to let us come out on deck before we
suffocate in this vile hole," commanded Lihoa.

As soon as Peppo began to tell in English what he had been told to say,
the boatswain cried out: "Ha, ha! So you are the interpreter, you
little pigmy? Why, that's all right. How lucky! Come up. I am
looking for you, but your pig-tailed cousins will have to stay down
there. They won't suffocate for awhile; the air of the steerage is
thicker and more nourishing than that on deck."

After a little parleying Lihoa let his nephew go. Quickly he ran up
the ladder, and when Gray had closed the trap-door he threw himself at
his feet, and with outstretched hands begged to land, because he had
been brought on board against his will.

"Land?" laughed Gray. "Land on what? We have been under sail for six
hours or more and are now a goodly number of miles from Hongkong, and
probably won't see land again for weeks. For good or for evil, for
better or for worse, my little pigmy, you'll have to go with us until
we land those cousins of yours in Australia. Get up. I'll take you to
the kitchen, and there our cook will find so much for you to do, that
you won't have time for sad thoughts."

With these words he seized Peppo by the arm and led him to the kitchen,
where he gave him over to the cook. The fat cook with the big white
apron looked at the slender youth half angrily, half compassionately,
and grumbled:

"That little Chinaman is to give me the promised help? How is he to
lift the heavy kettles of rice off the fire, Mr. Gray?"

"Well now, Mr. Blue, it's better to have a little help than none at
all. Why, indeed, you'll have to lift the heavy kettles off the fire
yourself. The boy can peel potatoes and wash dishes."

"Yes, and break more than his neck is worth in Brothers. I
understand.--Now, little one, come here and get into this apron, and
begin work.--Oh, wait a moment. You have not had any breakfast.
There, take that bowl of rice; you are more accustomed to that than to
our bread and coffee. When you have finished get at those dishes, and
wash and wipe them quicker than sca