t be my fault."

The two seamen looked at each other. "That's wot hurt my 'and then,"
said Dobbs slowly. "I thought it was a jack-knife."

He reached over, and unceremoniously grabbing the boy by the collar,
pulled him towards him, and drew a small, cheap revolver from his
pocket. "Look at that, Jem."

"Take your fingers orf the blessed trigger and then I will," said the
other, somewhat sourly.

"I'll pitch it overboard," said Dobbs.

"Don't be a fool, Bill," said Smithers, pocket-ing it, "that's worth a
few pints o' anybody's money. Stand out o' the way, Bill, the Pirit King
wants to go on deck."

Bill moved aside as the boy went to the ladder, and, allowing him to get
up four or five steps, did the rest for him with his shoulder. The boy
reached the deck on all fours, and, regaining a more dignified position
as soon as possible, went and leaned over the side, regarding with lofty
contempt the busy drudges on wharf and river.

They sailed at midnight and brought up in the early dawn in Longreach,
where a lighter loaded with barrels came alongside, and the boy smelt
romance and mystery when he learnt that they contained powder. They took
in ten tons, the lighter drifted away, the hatches were put on, and they
started once more.

It was his first voyage, and he regarded with eager interest the craft
passing up and down. He had made his peace with the seamen, and they
regaled him with blood-curdling stories of their adventures in the vain
hope of horrifying him.

"'E's a beastly little rascal, that's wot 'e is," said the indignant
Bill, who had surprised himself by his powers of narration; "fancy
larfin' when I told 'im of pitchin' the baby to the sharks."

'"E's all right, Bill," said the cook softly. "Wait till you've got
seven of 'em."

"What are you doing here, boy?" demanded the skipper, as Ralph, finding
the seamen's yarns somewhat lacking in interest, strolled aft with his
hands in his pockets.

"Nothing," said the boy, staring.

"Keep the other end o' the ship," said the skipper sharply, "an' go an'
'elp the cook with the taters."

Ralph hesitated, but a grin on the mate's face decided him.

"I didn't come here to peel potatoes," he said, loftily.

"Oh, indeed," said the skipper politely; "an' wot might you 'ave come
for, if it ain't being too inquisitive?"

"To fight the enemy," said Ralph shortly.

"Come 'ere," said the skipper.

The boy came slowly towards him.

"Now look 'ere," said