en hears it he'll come down expecting more salt beef.
Bumpo must hide behind the door outside. The moment that Ben is seated
at the dining-table Bumpo slams the door and locks it. Then we've got
him. See?"

"How stratagenious!" Bumpo chuckled. "As Cicero said, parrots cum
parishioners facilime congregation. I'll lay the table at once."

"Yes and take that Worcestershire sauce off the dresser with you when
you go out," said Polynesia. "Don't leave any loose eatables around.
That fellow has had enough to last any man for three days. Besides, he
won't be so inclined to start a fight when we put him ashore at the Capa
Blancas if we thin him down a bit before we let him out."

So we all went and hid ourselves in the passage where we could watch
what happened. And presently Bumpo came to the foot of the stairs and
rang the dinner-bell like mad. Then he hopped behind the dining-room
door and we all kept still and listened.

Almost immediately, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, down the stairs tramped Ben
Butcher, the able seaman. He walked into the dining-saloon, sat himself
down at the head of the table in the Doctor's place, tucked a napkin
under his fat chin and heaved a sigh of expectation.

Then, BANG! Bumpo slammed the door and locked it.

"That settles HIM for a while," said Polynesia coming out from her
hiding-place. "Now let him teach navigation to the side-board. Gosh, the
cheek of the man! I've forgotten more about the sea than that lumbering
lout will ever know. Let's go upstairs and tell the Doctor. Bumpo, you
will have to serve the meals in the cabin for the next couple of days."

And bursting into a rollicking Norwegian sea-song, she climbed up to my
shoulder and we went on deck.

THE SIXTH CHAPTER. THE BED-MAKER OF MONTEVERDE

WE remained three days in the Capa Blanca Islands.

There were two reasons why we stayed there so long when we were really
in such a hurry to get away. One was the shortage in our provisions
caused by the able seaman's enormous appetite. When we came to go over
the stores and make a list, we found that he had eaten a whole lot
of other things besides the beef. And having no money, we were sorely
puzzled how to buy more. The Doctor went through his trunk to see if
there was anything he could sell. But the only thing he could find
was an old watch with the hands broken and the back dented in; and we
decided this would not bring us in enough money to buy much more than
a pound of tea. Bu