was a disappointed man, should spend much time in
sleeping, and out of sheer imitation he once or twice took to having a
nap himself, but twice settled that. He had too much vitality in his
composition to sleep at abnormal times.

"Hang it all, Billy Waters," he said one day, after a week's sailing up
and down doing nothing more exciting than chasing fishing-luggers and
boarding trading brigs and schooners, "I do wish something would turn
up."

"If something real don't turn up, sir," said the gunner, "I shall be
certain to fire across the bows of a ship, from its always being my
habit, sir, and never hit a mark when I want it."

"Here, hi! hail that fishing-boat," he said; "I've fished till I'm
tired, and can't catch anything; perhaps we can get something of him."

He pointed to a little boat with a tiny sail, steered by its crew of one
man by means of an oar. The boat had been hanging about for some time
after pulling off from the shore, and its owner was evidently fishing,
but with what result the crew of the cutter could not tell.

"He don't want no hailing, sir; he's hailing of us," said Billy.

It was plain enough that the man was manoeuvring his cockleshell about,
so as to get the cutter between it and the shore, and with pleasant
visions in his mind of a lobster, crab, or some other fish to vary the
monotony of the salt beef and pork, of which they had, in Hilary's
thinking, far too much, he leaned over the side till the man allowed his
boat to drift close up.

"Heave us a rope," he said. "Got any fish?"

"Yes. I want to see the captain."

"What for?"

"You'll see. I want the captain. Are you him?"

"No; he's down below."

"I want to see him. May I come aboard?"

"If you like," said Hilary; and the man climbed over the side.

He was a lithe, sunburnt fellow, and after looking at him for a few
moments with a vague kind of feeling that he had seen him before, Hilary
sent a message below, and Mr Lipscombe came up with his hand before his
mouth to hide a yawn.

"Are you the captain?" said the man.

"I command this ship, fellow. What is it?"

"What'll you give me, captain, if I take you to a cove where they're
going to run a cargo to-night?"

"Wait and see, my man. You take us there and you shall be rewarded."

"No, no," said the man laughing; "that won't do, captain. I'm not going
to risk my life for a chance of what you'll give. I want a hundred
pounds."

"Rubbish, man! Ten shi