excellent artificer, Maclean, oil-can and spanner in hand, greeted me
affectionately in Gaelic from the entrance to the engine-room. The
skipper was ashore, so I seated myself on the steps leading to the
hurricane deck, and felt at home immediately.

Upon the circumstances attending that reunion there is no necessity for
me to dwell. Suffice it that we dined in the deserted saloon, and
adjourned later to my friend Percival's cabin in the alley way just
for'ard of the engine-room, where several bottles of Scotch whisky, a
strange collection of glass ware, and an assortment of excellent cigars,
were produced. Percival and Cleary, being the juniors, ensconced
themselves on the top bunk; Maclean (who had been induced to abandon his
machinery in honour of our meeting) was given the washhand-stand. Riley
took the cushioned locker in the corner, while I, as their guest, was
permitted the luxury of a canvas-backed deck chair, the initials on the
back of which were not those of its present owner. At first the
conversation was circumscribed, and embraced Plimsoll, the attractions
of London, and the decline in the price of freight; but, as the contents
of the second bottle waned, speech became more unfettered, and the talk
drifted into channels and latitudes widely different. Circumstances
connected with bygone days were recalled; the faces of friends long
hidden in the mists of time were brought again to mind; anecdotes
illustrative of various types of maritime character succeeded to each
other in brisk succession, till Maclean, without warning, finding his
voice, burst into incongruous melody. One song suggested another; a
banjo was produced, and tuned to the noise of clinking glasses; and
every moment the atmosphere grew thicker.

How long this concert would have lasted I cannot say, but I remember,
after the third repetition of the chorus of the sea-chanty that might
have been heard a mile away, glancing at my watch and discovering to my
astonishment that it was past ten o'clock. Then rising to my feet I
resisted all temptations to stay the night, and reminded my friend
Percival of his promise to put me ashore again. He was true to his word,
and five minutes later we were shoving off from the ship's side amid the
valedictions of my hosts. I have a recollection to this day of the face
of the chief engineer gazing sadly down upon me from the bulwarks, while
his quavering voice asserted the fact, in dolorous tones, that

"