actually went up on deck with the potato-net in his hand, holding
it out in front of him as he took his station beside those standing
round the grog-tub.

"Hullo!" exclaimed the ship's steward, who acts as master of the
ceremonies in this daily allowance of drink to the ship's company,
assisted by one of the corporals, and sometimes even by the master-at-
arms himself, the purveyor of the grog recognising him as having
previously received his quota. "What do you want here? You've had your
'lowance already!"

Joblins, however, was reluctant to give up the chance of getting an
additional supply without a struggle for it, so, he would not accept
this rebuff.

"They sez below, sir," explained he, still holding out the spud-net
straight in front of him, "as how I wer to tell yer, sir, as I wur a noo
hand, an' yer would give I a second 'lowance."

"Oh, you're a new hand are you?"

"Ay," replied Joblins, in a very satisfied tone, thinking the matter was
now satisfactorily settled. "That I be, sir."

"I thought so," said the ship's steward drily. "What are you going to
put the grog in if I gave it to you?"

Joblins did not reply in words, but held out the net.

"Well," exclaimed the steward, with a grin on his face that was
reflected in that of every one standing by, "I've heard of green hands
and greenhorns before; but of all the raw johnnies I ever saw on board
ship you take the cake!"

Strange to say, such was his denseness, that even then, the yokel could
not see the point of the joke and the steward had to order him away.

"Now, clear out of this," he cried, getting a bit angry when his laugh
was out. "Don't you see, you fool, if you can see anything at all, that
the rum would run out of the net like water out of a sieve? Be off with
you!"

Then at last the poor chap recognised the fact that Harris had been
`taking him in,' and darted down the ladder with the obvious intention
of `taking it out' of his tormentor; but the shout of merriment with
which he was received when he got forward amongst the men again, stopped
his saying anything, and the watch being just then called, his anger had
time to evaporate before he had any further chance of calling his
tormentor to account.

The weather continuing on the mend, the commodore gave orders to the
officer of the watch, soon after dinner, to shape a course for Madeira,
that being the appointed rendezvous of the squadron in the event of
their parting compan