that 'first chop' meant 'very much,' and was pleased to find that he had
made one friend so quickly.

'My name Ping Wang,' the Chinaman continued, 'but sailor men callee me
Chinee. Skipper Dlummond welly bad man. Callee me tellible bad names.
Good morning; no can stop.'

Ping Wang went on deck, and a few moments later Charlie followed and
hurried to the galley, where his difficulties commenced. In spite of all
his efforts he could not light the fire, and, remembering the bow-leg
cook's injunction to keep the kettle always boiling, he began to think
that he was making a very bad start. He left the galley in order to ask
one of the men to show him how to make the fire burn, and met Ping Wang.

'Can tellee me how lightee fire?' Charlie asked.

Ping Wang nodded his head, popped into the galley, and pointed out to
Charlie that he had omitted to pull out the damper. Then he relaid the
fire, and, when he lighted it, it burned up quickly.

'You no sailor-man; you no cook!' Ping Wang whispered merrily, and then
hurried away.

'Ping Wang and I will get on very well together,' Charlie said to
himself as he filled the huge kettle with water. The kettle boiled
quickly, and almost immediately after the ship had left the dock the
mate's mug of tea was ready.

'Have you given the skipper any?' the mate asked; and when Charlie
replied 'No,' he exclaimed, 'You had better be quick and take him some,
then.'

Charlie filled another mug with tea and took it up on the bridge, but,
just as he reached the top step of the ladder, he stumbled, and, to
prevent himself from falling, dropped the mug. It fell with a crash on
the bridge, and the tea splashed the skipper's shore trousers, which he
had not yet changed.

Skipper Drummond, a short, stout, ill-tempered fellow, was thoroughly
disliked by every one who knew him. He glared at Charlie for a moment as
if he had committed some terrible offence, and then shouted fiercely
'What did you do that for, you idiot?'

'It was an accident,' Charlie answered bluntly, indignant at being
abused.

'Saying it was an accident won't mend the mug.'

'I will pay for a new one,' Charlie rather unwisely replied.

'Pay for it, will you? So we have got a millionaire aboard, I suppose. I
wonder you ever came to sea. Why did you? Do the police want you?'

Feeling that if he remained on the bridge he might speak his mind too
freely, Charlie turned to go, but the skipper called him back.

'Come here, y