head on
this inappropriate occasion, and he forthwith discharged it at
Alister's. To put some natures into a desperate situation seems like
putting tartaric acid into soda and water--they sparkle up and froth. It
certainly was so with Dennis O'Moore; and if Alister could hardly have
been more raven-like upon the crack of doom, the levity of Dennis would,
in our present circumstances, have been discreditable to a paroquet.

For it was no light matter to have lost our one hope of a friend in this
strange land; and yet this was practically what it meant, when we knew
that Alister Auchterlay's cousin had gone to the States. But the idea of
kinship at last suggested something more sensible than jokes to Dennis
O'Moore.

"Why, I've a cousin of my own in Demerara, and I'd forgotten him
entirely!" he suddenly announced.

"You haven't a cousin in New York, have you?" I asked, and I proceeded
to explain, that having done my business, I had been drawn back to the
harbour by all the attractions shipping has for me, and had there been
accosted by the mate of a coasting-vessel bound for New York with salt
fish, who was in want of hands both to load and man her. The
_Water-Lily_ had been pointed out to me from a distance, and we might go
and see her to-morrow morning if we liked. With the prospect of living
for at least a month on our slender stocking, the idea of immediate
employment was very welcome, to say nothing of the attraction of further
adventures. Alister began to cheer up, and Dennis to sober down. We
wrote home, and posted our letters, after which we secured a decent
sleeping-room and a good meal of broiled salmon, saffron-coloured cakes,
and hot coffee, for a very reasonable sum; but, moderate as it was, it
confirmed us in the conviction that we could not afford to eat the bread
of idleness.

Next day we were early at the wharf. The _Water-Lily_ was by no means so
white as she was named, and the smell of the salt fish was abominable.
But we knew we could not pick and choose when we wanted employment, and
wanted to be together; and to this latter point we had nailed our
colours. With Alister and me the mate came to terms at once, but for a
time he made difficulties about Dennis. We "stowaways" had had so much
dirty work to do in all weathers for the past fortnight, that we looked
sailor-like enough, I dare say; and as it had honestly been our
endeavour to learn all we could, and shirk nothing, and as the captain's
pa