d up in a bunk, with its head
buried in the pillow, was the cook, shook it vigourously.

"Did you want the cook, sir?" said a voice from another bunk.

"Yes," said Fraser, sharply, as he punched the figure again and again.

"Pore cookie ain't well, sir," said the seaman, sympathetically;
"'e's been very delikit all this evenin'; that's the worst o' them
teetotalers."

"All right; that'll do," said the skipper, sharply, as he struck another
match, and gave the invalid a final disgusted punch. "Where's the boy?"

A small, dirty face with matted hair protruded from the bunk above the
cook and eyed him sleepily.

"Get some supper," said Fraser, "quick."

"Supper, sir?" said the boy with a surprised yawn.

"And be quick about it," said the skipper, "and wash you face first and
put a comb through your hair. Come, out you get."

The small sleeper sighed disconsolately, and, first extending one
slender leg, clambered out and began to dress, yawning pathetically as
he did so.

"And some coffee," said Fraser, as he lit the lamp and turned to depart.

"Bill," said the small boy, indignantly.

"Wot d'ye want?" said the seaman.

"'Elp me to wake that drunken pig up," said the youth, pointing a
resentful finger at the cook. "I ain't goin' to do all the work."

"You leave 'im alone," said Bill, ferociously. The cook had been very
liberal that evening, and friendship is friendship, after all.

"That's what a chap gets by keeping hisself sober," said the youthful
philosopher, as he poured a little cold tea out of the kettle on his
handkerchief and washed himself. "Other people's work to do."

He went grumbling up to the galley, and, lighting some sticks, put
the kettle on, and then descended to the cabin, starting with genuine
surprise as he saw the skipper sitting opposite a pretty girl, who was
leaning back in her seat fast asleep.

"Cook'll be sorry 'e missed this," he murmured, as he lighted up and
began briskly to set the table. He ran up on deck again to see how
his fire was progressing, and thrusting his head down the forecastle
communicated the exciting news to Bill.

To Fraser sitting watching his sleeping guest it seemed like a beautiful
dream. That Poppy Tyrell should be sitting in his cabin and looking to
him as her only friend seemed almost incredible. A sudden remembrance
of Flower subdued at once the ardour of his gaze, and he sat wondering
vaguely as to the whereabouts of that erratic mariner until h