tten large on the
faces of the three Academy men. Then Spurling stepped forward and held
out his hand.

"Percy," said he, with a break in his voice, "I've always thought you
had the right stuff in you, if you'd only give yourself half a chance.
For one, I'll be more than pleased to have you stop. What do you say,
boys?"

He glanced toward Lane and Stevens.

"Sure!" exclaimed Lane, heartily; and Stevens seconded him.

The boys shook hands all round; and they sat down to the table with good
appetites. Everybody enjoyed the meal.

"Boys," said Jim as they got up at its close, "this is the best dinner
we've had since we came out here."

Percy's heart warmed toward the speaker. He knew that it was not the
food alone that made Jim say what he did.

It had been Percy's habit to smoke three or four cigarettes during the
half-hour of rest all were accustomed to take after the noon meal. He
went, as usual, to his suit-case, and this time took out, not merely one
package, but all he had, including his sack of loose tobacco and two
books of wrappers.

"Got a good fire, Filippo?" he inquired, approaching the stove.

A burst of flame answered him as he lifted the cover. In went the whole
handful. He watched it burn for a moment before dropping the lid.

"I'm done with you for good," he said.

As Lane and Spurling started for the _Barracouta_ to dress the fifteen
hundred pounds of hake they had taken off the trawls that morning Percy
joined them, clad in oilskins.

"Jim," he petitioned, "I want you to teach me how to split fish."

"Do you mean it, Percy?" asked Spurling.

"You heard what I said this noon about shirking. I'm through with
dodging any kind of work just because it's unpleasant. I want to take my
part with the rest of you."

"I'll teach you," said Jim.

He did, and found that he had an apt pupil. Percy worked until the last
pound of the fifteen hundred was salted down in the hogshead. He
discovered that it was not half so bad as it had looked, and felt
ashamed that he had not tried his hand at the trick before.

"You've earned your supper to-night," observed Jim.

"Yes; but I'm glad it's something besides fish."

"You'll get so you won't mind it after a while."

That night Throppy played his violin and the boys sang. They passed a
pleasant hour before going to bed.

"I'd like to go out with you to the trawls, Jim, to-morrow morning,"
said Percy.

"Glad to have you," responded Spurling, heartily