luted him with a broad grin; to which Dick
responded with one a little broader, as he stood mopping the
perspiration from his face.

"Why, Dick, old man," said the engineer, "after this I think we can show
them gunners a trick or two. It would have puzzled them to clear the
decks like that. However came you to think of it?"

"Think of it?" said Dick. "I shouldn't never have thought of such a
game; it was young Mr Roberts, you know. But did you see 'em run?"

"Run!" said the engineer. "Running was nothing to it; you cleared the
deck like a shot."

"Shot!" said Dick scornfully; "I should like to see the shot or shell
that would do it half as well. Why, look here, my lads, your shot and
your shell kills and murders people, knocks off their legs and wings,
and precious often their heads. A shot goes bang in amongst a lot o'
folk, and there's an end of it. But here I was with the copper branch
in my fisties, and I just sprinkled 'em here and there like a shower
and--"

"Give it 'em hot," interposed one of the firemen leaning on his shovel.

"Ay, I just did," said Dick; "not as it was much hotter than it is down
here, my lads, but hot I did give it 'em, and there wasn't one who would
face it. And that brings me down to why I come here."

"Oh, we know why you come here, Dicky," said another of the firemen, who
had just been stoking a furnace, and whose face shone with perspiration.
"You said to yourself, you did, there's them poor chaps down there in
the engine-room getting half-roasted, and with their throats as dry as
brown paper; now, being a good-hearted sort of fellow as I am, I'll just
go down below and say to 'em, a nice cooling drink o' lime juice and
water with a dash o' rum in it, is what you all wants in a big tin can.
Shall I get it for you? That's what you come down here to say."

"Blest if ever I see such a clever chap as you are, Sam Walsh," cried
Dick, slapping his leg and laughing. "You can read a fellow just as if
he was made up o' large print and big leaves. You've really hit it, but
you see a drink like that wants mixing; and don't you see, though you
may drink it cold it wants hot water to mix it? and that's what I did
come about--more hot water."

"To mix up for us, Dick?" said the engineer, laughing.

"No," said Dick, "I didn't say that, my lad," and a bigger grin came
over his face; "what I want is the hot water to mix the grog for the
niggers, as it seems they liked the last dose