information that
breakfast was ready.

A wash and a change, together with a good breakfast, effected as much
change in his spirits as in his appearance. Refreshed in mind and body,
he slowly paced the deck, his chest expanding as he sniffed the fresh
air, and his soul, encouraged by the dangers he had already passed
through, bracing itself for fresh encounters.

"I 'ope the foot is goin' on well, sir," said Tim, breaking in upon his
meditations, respectfully.

"Much easier this morning," said the skipper, amiably.

Tim, who was lending the cook a hand, went back into the galley to
ponder. As a result of a heated debate in the fo'c's'le, where the last
night's proceedings and the mysterious appearance of the skipper off
Greenwich had caused a great sensation, they had drawn lots to decide
who was to bell the cat, and Tim had won or lost according as the
subject might be viewed.

"You don't want to walk about on it much, sir," he said, thrusting his
head out again.

The skipper nodded.

"I was alarmed last night," said Tim. "We was all alarmed," he added,
hastily, in order that the others might stand in with the risk,
"thinking that perhaps you'd walked too far and couldn't get back."

The master of the _Foam_ looked at him, but made no reply, and Tim's
head was slowly withdrawn. The crew, who had been gazing over the side
with their ears at the utmost tension, gave him five minutes' grace and
then, the skipper having gone aft again, walked up to the galley.

"I've done all I could," said the wretched youth.

"Done all ye could?" said Joe, derisively, "why you ain't done nothin'
yet."

"I can't say anything more," said Tim. "I dassent. I ain't got your
pluck, Joe."

"Pluck be damned!" said the seaman, fiercely; "why there was a chap I
knew once, shipwrecked he was, and had to take to the boats. When the
grub give out they drew lots to see who should be killed and eaten. He
lost. Did 'e back out of it? Not a bit of it; 'e was a man, an' 'e shook
'ands with 'em afore they ate 'im and wished 'em luck."

"Well, you can kill and eat me if that's what you want," said Tim,
desperately. "I'd sooner 'ave that."

"Mind you," said Joe, "till you've arsked them questions and been
answered satisfactorily--none of us'll 'ave anything to do with you,
besides which I'll give you such a licking as you've never 'ad before."

He strolled off with Ben and the cook, as the skipper came towards them
again, and sat down in t