sible, deeper into his
pockets than they even were thrust before--so deep, in fact, as to
suggest the idea that there were no pockets there at all--merely holes.
Then he looked at Captain Dunning with a peculiarly sly expression of
countenance and winked.

"Well, that's not much. Anything more?" inquired the captain.

"Ho, yes; lots more. The _Termagant's_ in this yere port--at--this--
yere--moment."

The latter part of this was said in a hoarse emphatic whisper, and the
man raising up both legs to a horizontal position, let them fall so that
his heels came with a crash upon the wooden floor.

"Is she?" cried the captain, with lively interest; "and her captain?"

"He's--yere--too!"

Captain Dunning took one or two hasty strides across the floor, as if he
were pacing his own quarterdeck--then stopped suddenly and said--

"Can you get hold of any more of that boat's crew?"

"I can do nothin' more wotiver, nor say nothin' more wotsomediver, till
I've tasted that 'ere tipple of yourn."

The captain rang the bell, and the waiter entered with ham and eggs,
buttered toast, and hot coffee for two.

The sailor opened his eyes to their utmost possible width, and made an
effort to thrust his hands still deeper into his unfathomable trousers
pockets; then he sat bolt upright, and gathering his legs as close under
his chair as possible, clasped his knees with his hands, hugged himself,
and grinned from ear to ear. After sitting a second or two in that
position, he jumped up, and going forward to the table, took up the
plate of ham and eggs, as if to make sure that it was a reality, and
smelt it.

"Is _this_ your favourite tipple?" he said, on being quite satisfied of
the reality of what he saw.

"Coffee is my favourite drink," replied the captain, laughing. "I never
take anything stronger."

"Ho! you're a to-teetler?"

"I am. Now, my man, as you have not yet had breakfast, and as you
interrupted me in the middle of mine, suppose we sit down and discuss
the matter of the whale over this."

"Well, this is the rummiest way of offerin' to give a fellow a glass as
I ever did come across since I was a tadpole, as sure as my name's Dick
Jones," remarked the sailor, sitting down opposite the captain, and
turning up the cuffs of his coat.

Having filled his mouth to its utmost possible extent, the astonished
seaman proceeded, at one and the same time, to masticate and to relate
all that he knew in regard to the _Ter