alf of such walking brought him to a small patch of
scrubby underwood, from the neighbourhood of which a large town could be
seen looming against the evening sky in the far distance. The sailor
entered the underwood with the air of a man who had aimed at the spot as
a goal, and who meant to rest there a while. He reached an open space,
in the centre of which grew a stunted tree. Here he sat down, and
taking off his wallet, ate a hearty supper of scraps of excellent bread,
cheese, and meat, which he washed down with a draught of gin.
Afterwards he lit his pipe, and, while enjoying himself thus, reclining
at the foot of the tree, proceeded to increase his enjoyment by counting
out his gains.

While thus agreeably engaged, a rustling of the bushes caused him to
bundle the gains hastily up in a handkerchief, which he thrust into his
pocket, while he leaped nimbly to his feet, and seized his crutch.

"Oh, it's only you, Bill! why, I declare I thought it was--well, well,
never mind. How have ye got on?"

The individual addressed entered the enclosure, and sat down at the foot
of the tree with a sigh, which might, without much exaggeration, have
been termed a growl. Bill was also, strange to say, a sailor, and a
wounded one, (doubtless a shipwrecked one), because his left arm was in
a sling.

"It's tough work, Jim, an' little pay," said the newcomer. "Why, I've
walked twenty mile good, an' only realised two pun' ten. If it don't
improve, I'll take to a better trade."

"You're a discontented dog," replied Jim, spreading out his treasures.
"Here have I limped the same distance, an' bin an' got five pun' two."

"Whew!" whistled the other. "You don't say that? Well--we go 'alves,
so I'm better--'ere pass that bottle. I'll drink to your good 'ealth.
'Ow did you ever come by it, Bill?"

To this Bill replied that he had fallen in with several ladies, whose
hearts were so touched by his pitiful tale that most of them gave him
crown pieces, while two, who actually shed tears while he spoke, gave
him half a sovereign each!

"I drink to them 'ere two ladies," exclaimed Bill, applying the gin
bottle to his mouth, which was already full of bread and beef.

"So does I," said Jim, snatching the bottle from his comrade, "not so
much for the sake of them there ladies, 'owever, as to get my fair share
o' the tipple afore you."

The remainder of the sentence was drowned by gin; and after they had
finished the bottle, which