he was never long without occupation, because men
liked his looks, and took him on trial without much persuasion. To say
truth, Glynn never took the trouble to persuade them. When his services
were declined, he was wont to turn on his heel and walk away without a
word of reply; and not unfrequently he was called back and employed. He
could turn his hand to almost anything, but when he tired of it, he
threw it up and sought other work elsewhere.

In the course of his peregrinations, he came to reside in the city in
which our story finds him. Here he had become a compositor in the
office of a daily newspaper, and, happening to be introduced to the
Misses Dunning, soon became a favourite with them, and a constant
visitor at their house. Thus he became acquainted with their brother.
Becoming disgusted with the constant work and late hours of the
printing-office, he resolved to join Captain Dunning's ship, and take a
voyage to southern seas as an ordinary seaman. Glynn and little Alice
Dunning were great friends, and it was a matter of extreme delight to
both of them that they were to sail together on this their first voyage.

Having been made a nigger of--that is, having had his face and hands
blackened in order to avoid detection--Glynn sallied forth with the
captain and Rokens to return to their ship, the _Red Eric_, which lay in
the harbour, not ten minutes' walk from the house.

They passed the police on the wharf without creating suspicion, and
reached the vessel.

CHAPTER FOUR.

THE ESCAPE.

"Well, Millons, what news?" inquired the captain, as he stepped on deck.

"Bad news, sir, I fear" replied the first mate. "I found, on coming
aboard, that no one knew anything about Sling, so I went ashore at once
and 'urried up to the hospital, w'ere, sure enough, I found 'im lyin'
with his 'ead bandaged, and lookin' as if 'e were about gone. They
asked me if I knew what ship 'e belonged to, as the police wanted to
know. So I told 'em I knew well enough, but I wasn't going to tell if
it would get the poor fellow into a scrape.

"`Why don't you ask himself?' says I.

"They told me 'e was past speaking, so I tried to make 'im understand,
but 'e only mumbled in reply. W'en I was about to go 'e seemed to
mumble very 'ard, so I put down my ear to listen, and 'e w'ispered quite
distinct tho' very low--`All right, my 'eartie. I'm too cute for 'em by
a long way; go aboard an' say nothin'.' So I came away, and I'