in a muttered tone, for the youth was evidently a favourite with the
captain, as was shown by the hearty manner in which he shook him by the
hand.

"Messmates, this is Glynn Proctor, a friend o' mine," said Captain
Dunning, in explanation: "he is going with us this voyage _before_ the
mast, so you'll have to make the most of him as an equal to-night, for I
intend to keep him in his proper place when afloat. He chooses to go as
an ordinary seaman, against my advice, the scamp; so I'll make him keep
his head as low as the rest when aboard. You'll to keep your time
better, too, than you have done to-night, lad," continued the captain,
giving his young friend a slap on the shoulder. "What has detained you,
eh?"

"Necessity, captain," replied the youth, with a smile, as he sat down to
table with an off-hand easy air that savoured of recklessness; "and I am
prepared to state, upon oath if need be, that necessity is not `the
mother of invention.' If she had been, she would have enabled me to
invent a way of escape from my persecutors in time to keep my promise to
Miss Dunning."

"Persecutors, Glynn!" exclaimed Martha; "to whom do you refer?"

"To the police of this good city."

"Police!" echoed the captain, regarding his young friend seriously,
while the doctor and the first mate and Tim Rokens listened in some
surprise.

"Why, the fact is," said Glynn, "that I have just escaped from the hands
of the police, and if it had not been that I was obliged to make a very
wide detour, in order to reach this house without being observed, I
should have been here long ago."

"Boy, boy, your hasty disposition will bring you into serious trouble
one of these days," said the captain, shaking his head. "What mischief
have you been about?"

"Ay, there you go--it's my usual fate," cried Glynn, laughing. "If I
chance to get into a scrape, you never think of inquiring whether it was
my fault or my misfortune. This time, however, it _was_ my misfortune,
and if Miss Dunning will oblige me with a cup of tea, I'll explain how
it happened.

"Little more than two hours ago I left the ship to come here to tea, as
I had promised to do. Nikel Sling, the long-legged cook you engaged
this morning, went ashore with me. As we walked up the street together,
I observed a big porter passing along with a heavy deal plank on his
shoulder. The street was somewhat narrow and crowded at that part, and
Sling had turned to look in at a shop-windo