h us. The people who acted as
officers passed us by without notice, and the seamen did not take the
trouble to exchange a word with us. At last Jerry and I agreed that it
was time to try and make ourselves more at home, or we should not be
able to carry into execution the plan we had proposed. Surley, too,
seemed to think it very dull work sitting all day long with his nose
resting on our knees. How to set about ingratiating ourselves with the
fellows, was the difficulty. We generally talked over our plans when
the doctor was away, as he was for a considerable time every day
attending to the sick. We determined first to try and win over old Tom
Congo, the black cook, as he seemed disposed to be friendly with us.

"I say, cook," exclaimed Jerry, "you give us very good food to eat, but
couldn't you add a bit of meat now and then? Surley gets some, and we,
who have been accustomed all our lives to it, would like to have it
now."

"Oh, oh, you hab some of Surley's den," answered Tom Congo, with a grin.

"You are too kind to wish to make us eat scraps and bits," said Jerry;
"we should just like a piece of beef or pork."

Congo looked pleased; and though he would not promise to bring us any
meat, we saw that he would. Now, we did not care so much about the
meat, but we thought that, by asking him a favour which he could easily
grant, we might gain his interest. It was a compliment to him, and made
him feel as if he were our superior, for the time being at all events.
The next day, at dinner time, he brought us a very nice piece of boiled
beef and some potatoes. We consulted what we could give him in return.
Our knives were too valuable to part with, but Jerry had a silver
pencil-case, which he offered to him. Old Tom asked what it was for,
and when told to write with, he grinned from ear to ear, observing that,
as he could not write even his own name, it would be of no manner of use
to him; but that he thanked us all the same.

The feeling that there were two people on board who were disposed to be
friendly with us raised our spirits. We got up and began to chase
Surley about the deck, making him run after a ball of spun-yarn till we
got tired of the game. Then we walked up and down the deck till we got
right aft, where we could catch a glance at the compass. We were
steering about south-west and by south.

"Where are we going to, my friend?" said Jerry, addressing the man at
the helm.

"Ask the captain;