he regret of all, for they could ill afford to lose it.

"Ye've got it, ye have, but ye shan't ait it," growled Briant through
his teeth, as he sprang over the seat towards the monkey.

Jacko bounded like a piece of indiarubber on to Gurney's head; next
moment he was clinging to the edge of the mainsail, and the next he was
comfortably seated on the top of the mast, where he proceeded calmly and
leisurely to "ait" the biscuit in the face of its exasperated and
rightful owner.

"Oh,--Briant!" exclaimed Ailie, who was half frightened, half amused at
the sudden convulsion caused by her favourite's bad conduct, "don't be
vexed; see, here is a little bit of my biscuit; I don't want it--really
I don't."

Briant, who stood aghast and overwhelmed by his loss and by the
consummate impudence of the small monkey, felt rebuked by this offer.
Bursting into a loud laugh, he said, as he resumed his seat and the
filling of his pipe--

"Sure I'd rather ait me own hat, Miss Ailie, an' it's be no means a good
wan--without sarce, too, not even a blot o' mustard--than take the
morsel out o' yer purty mouth. I wos more nor half jokin', dear, an' I
ax yer parding for puttin' ye in sich a fright."

"Expensive jokin'," growled Tarquin, "if ye throw a pannikin overboard
every time you take to it."

"Kape your tongue quiet," said Briant, reddening, for he felt somewhat
humbled at having given way to his anger so easily, and was nettled at
the remark, coming as it did, in a sneering spirit, from a man for whom
he had no particular liking.

"Never mind, Briant," interposed the captain quickly, with a
good-humoured laugh; "I feel for you, lad. Had it been myself I fear I
should have been even more exasperated. I would not sell a crumb of my
portion just now for a guinea."

"Neither would I," added the doctor, "for a thousand guineas."

"I'll tell ye wot it is, lads," remarked Tim Rokens; "I wish I only had
a crumb to sell."

"Now, Rokens, don't be greedy," cried Gurney.

"Greedy!" echoed Tim.

"Ay, greedy; has any o' you lads got a dickshunairy to lend him? Come,
Jim Scroggles, you can tell him what it means--you've been to school, I
believe, hain't you?"

Rokens shook his head gravely.

"No, lad, I'm not greedy, but I'm ready for wittles. I won't go fur to
deny that. Now, let me ax ye a question. Wot--supposin' ye had the
chance--would ye give, at this good min'it, for a biled leg o' mutton?"

"With or without capers-sau