he ladder. Dan sat up and laid by his pipe; two seamen went to
assist in the safe delivery of their dinner.

"Carn't yer never learn to bring the grub down the ladder backwards?"
Bill was demanding of the new-comer. "Want to capsize it all again,
like yer done before?"

"Ah, no!"

The Dago stood in the light of the hatch and answered the Cockney
with a shrug and a timid, conciliatory smile. He was a little swarthy
man, lean and anxious, with quick, apprehensive eyes which flitted
now nervously from one to the other of the big sailors whose comrade
and servant he was. There was upon him none of that character of the
sea which shaped their every gesture and attitude. As the Cockney
snarled at him he moved his hands in deprecating gesticulation; a
touch of the florid appeared in him, of that easy vivacity which is
native to races ripened in the sun.

"Keepin' men waitin' like this," mouthed Bill. "Bloomin' flat-footed,
greasy 'anded."

Dan's deliberate voice struck in strongly. "Ain't you goin' to have
no dinner, Dago?" he demanded. "Come on an' sit down to it, man!"

The Dago made one final shrug at Bill.

"De mate," he said, smiling with raised eyebrows, as though in
pitying reference to that officer's infirmities of temper, "'e call
me. So I cannot go to de galley for fetch de dinner more quick.
Please escuse."

Bill snarled. "Come on with ye," called Dan again.

"Ah, yais!" And now his smile and his start to obey apologized to Dan
for not having come at the first summons.

Dan pushed the "kid" of food towards him. "Dig in," he bade him.
"You've had better grub than this in yer time, but it's all there is.
So go at it."

"Better dan dis!" The Dago paused to answer in the act of helping
himself. "Ah, mooch, mooch better, yais. I tell you." He began to
gesticulate as he talked, trying to make these callous, careless men
see with him the images that his words called up.

"Joost before de hot of de day I sit-a down in a balcao, where it is
shade, yais, an' look at-a de water an' de trees, an' hear de bells,
all slow an' gentle, in de church. An' when it is time dey bring me
de leetle fish like-a de gold, all fresh, an' de leetle bread-cakes,
yais, an' de wine."

"That's the style," approved a seaman. Though they did not cease to
eat, they were all listening.

Tales of food and drink are always sure of a hearing in the fo'c'sle.

"On a table of de black wood, shining, an' a leetle cloth like snow,"
the D