ng it. I have."

"What, are you going to use it as a bait?"

"That's it, my son; but I'm not going to use hook or line."

"Then what are you going to do?"

"Throw it over for one of the sharks we saw cruising about before
sundown."

"But what for? You don't want to pet sharks with cold pudding."

"No. Guess again."

"Stuff! Speak out."

"Poison--cold pison."

"What! Why, you would never see the brute that took it turn up in the
darkness."

"Don't want to, my son," said the lad solemnly.

"Look here, Dick, it's too hot, to-night, and I'm too tired and sleepy
to try and puzzle out your conundrums, so if you want me to understand
what you're about you had better speak out. What a rum chap you are!"

"I am."

"One hour you're all a fellow could wish; the next you are red-hot to
quarrel. See how you were this afternoon when the doctor was talking to
you."

"Ah! I was out of temper then, but now I feel so happy that a child
might play with me."

"Glad to hear it, but I don't want to be child-like, and I don't want to
play."

"Perhaps not, but you'll be interested."

"Fire away, then. What has made you so happy?"

"I had an idea."

"Well, look sharp, or I shall fall asleep with my head resting on my
arms."

"Well, I'll tell you," said Roberts. "You see that solid lump of
pudding?"

"I told you before I can't see it."

"Feel it then."

"No, I'll be hanged if I do! Why should I feel a nasty piece of cold
pudding?"

"Don't be so jolly particular; it's quite dry."

"Look here, Dick, are you going off your head?"

"I thought I was when the idea came, for it set me laughing so that I
could not stop myself."

"Come, tell me what it all means, or I shall go below to my berth. What
is there in all this?"

"Poison, I tell you."

"Yes, you told me before; but what does it mean?"

"You see that lump of pudding; well, there's poison in it."

"Dick Roberts, I'm hot and easily aggravated. If you go on like this I
shall be as quarrelsome as you were this afternoon."

"Well, there, it was all my idea that I had this afternoon. I got that
lump of pudding from the cook, took it down to my berth, pulled out my
knife, put the box on the side of the pudding, and cut out a piece
exactly the size of the box."

"Wh-a-a-t! You mean you cut a piece out of the box just the size of the
pudding?"

"No, I don't, my son. You don't understand yet. Can't you see I'm
talking about a pill-box?"