other, as if he expected them to
laugh; but as they did not he screwed up his face, coughed
unnecessarily, and then said:

"Yes, it is hot, gentlemen. Wants to be if you mean to grow sugar."

"And coffee, captain," said the second personage; and just then there
was a dismal creaking sound made by a windlass, a musical _yo-yo-ing_
came from a vessel moored to the wharf, and a big sugar hogshead was
wound up to a certain height, the crane which bore it was swung round,
and as the wheels creaked the great hogshead began to descend slowly
towards a gaping hole in the vessel's deck, while the captain swung
himself round as if bound to follow the motion of the crane and the cask
of sugar, and then lowered himself imitatively by bending his back till
the cask disappeared, when he started upright, banged the table with his
fist, and exclaimed sharply:

"I don't believe they're using a bit of dunnage, and if they don't the
first storm they get those hogsheads'll be rempaging about in that hold,
and if they don't mind that vessel'll sink, to the bottom of the sea,
the sea. She'll sink to the bottom of the sea!"

He half sang the latter words, with a merry look upon his face; but it
did not sound like singing, for his voice was not musical, and he turned
then to his young companion.

"Know that song, squire?" he said.

"No," said the lad, smiling in turn. "Is it a song?"

"Yes, and a good one too. That's `The Mermaid,' that is."

"But we did not come here to breakfast and discuss old songs, captain,"
said the second personage.

"That's a true word, sir; and we--Hullo! there you are again, are you?
Anyone would think you wanted to know. See that chap, sir?"

"Oh, yes, I've seen him several times; and he does seem as if he wanted
to know something. He has been watching me about ever since my brother
and I have been here."

"So he has me, sir. He's one of those chaps who take a lot more
interest in other persons' affairs than they do in their own, and if he
comes poking his long thin sharp nose in my business he'll be getting
himself into trouble."

It was a long thin nose, and on either side was a very sharp black beady
eye, which did not set off or improve a thin, wrinkled yellow face, as
the owner sauntered by with a roughly-made cigar in his mouth, the
smoking of which seemed to necessitate the sucking in of the smoker's
cheeks, as he gazed eagerly at the seated party and went on.

"He's a slave-driver; th