haff? Not me, sir. I meant it. I felt a bit
proud of you, sir, for using your head like that."

"Well, this is no time for paying compliments, Tom. You take the lead."

"I'll do what you orders, sir, of course, you being my orficer, but you
might tell me which way I oughter lead."

"I can't, Tom, my lad. We want to get down to the boat, and hope to
pick up Titely on the way. I've tried till I grew more and more puzzled
than ever; so now you try. You must chance it, my lad."

"Mean it, sir?"

"Mean it? Of course!" cried Murray; and the man shut his eyes close,
knit his brow, and then began to mutter in a low tone, much to the
midshipman's surprise.

"What are you doing, Tom?" he cried at last.

"What you telled me, sir--charnshing of it."

"Chancing it?"

"Yes, sir; that's right," said the man. "Same as we used to when we was
little uns playing at _Blind Man's Buff_. `How many horses has your
father got?' Then the one as had the hankychy tied over his eyes used
to answer, `Black, white and grey.' Then the one who arksed about the
horses used to say, `Turn round three times and ketch who you may.'"

And as soon as the man had repeated these words with his eyes still
closely shut he turned round three times and then opened them and stared
straight before him.

"This here's the way, sir; right ahead."

"What nonsense, Tom!" said the middy sadly. "You're old enough to know
better."

"Maybe, sir, but you said I was to charnsh it, and that's what I'm
a-doing of; and if I don't find the way down to the boat it won't do us
no harm as I can see; so come along."

The man stepped off, keeping as nearly as he could to the line he had
marked down, and without turning his head he called back to his young
officer--

"Don't you mind me giving o' you orders, sir, but you telled me to lead
on, and I should like to say, sir, as you'd find it better if instead of
walking hard and stiff, sir, like the jollies march up and down the
deck, you'd try my way, sir, trot fashion, upon your toes, with a heavy
swing and give and take. You'd find that you wouldn't sink in quite so
much, seeing as one foot's found its way out before t'other's got time
to sink in."

"I'll try, Tom," said the middy quietly; and after following the man for
a few dozen yards he whispered, "Yes, I think that's better, Tom; but I
have no faith in your _Blind Man's Buff_ plan."

"Give it time, sir; we arn't half tried it yet."

"Go on, th