to-morrow. Look, Ugly; I put your supper in
this stern locker. Do you see?"

Ugly was at first rather disappointed at the prospect of being separated
from us for the night, but as Harry's harangue proceeded and he began to
comprehend the honour of the duty required aboard ship, he bristled up
and grew as stiff and important as his inches would allow. He turned
his nose to watch where the supper was placed, and then walked forward
and took a seat on the bow assuming a comical air of "captaincy;" so
pantomimic was it that Captain Mugford laughed aloud, and said: "Well
done, Ugly; where, my fine fellow, did you learn quarterdeck airs?"

"Good-night, Captain Ugly," we cried, as we pushed for the shore in the
punt. "Good-night, boy; can't you say something, Captain Gruff?"

At which address Ugly rose up and, putting his forefeet on the larboard
gunwale, barked three loud, clear notes, and we gave three laughing
cheers as he returned to his post by the bowsprit.

Before going to bed that night, I went out in the kitchen to put a pair
of my shoes to dry, and found Clump and Juno, as usual in the evenings,
smoking and dozing over the fire.

Wondering at the amount of comfort these old folk seemed to find in
tobacco, I asked Clump why he smoked so much.

"Fur constellation, Massa Bob--fur constellation; dat's ol," he
answered.

"Oh, that is it, Clump--consolation, eh? Well, I must get a pipe some
time and try it," I said.

"No, Massa Bob," joined in Juno, who was knocking out the ashes from her
pipe on the head of the fire-dog--"no, Massa Bob you'se munno 'moke.
'Spects, ef you'se do, you find de way tur constollaton, dat ole Clump
talk of, cum tru much tribble-laison--he! he! he!"

I had to laugh at the old woman's wit. As for Clump, he rubbed his
shins and "yaw-ha'd" over his wife's speech for five minutes.

As I was going off to bed, Juno called me back in a hesitating way, and
said in a low, frightened voice: "Massa Bob, sum-how dis ole woman ees
'feared 'bout ter'morrow. You'se gwine sure?"

"Of course, Juno," I replied. "And what are you afraid of? I would not
stay at home for ten pounds."

"Dis chile's sorry--sorry," she continued, "but de Lor' ees my strong
'an my sheel." She was speaking very slowly, and had bent over the fire
to rake the ashes together. She went on muttering some more of the
Bible texts she always called on in any perplexity, until a new idea
flashed to her from some uncovered