d with me, gentlemen?" he demanded, turning on them with a frown.

Tredgold and Chalk hastened to reassure him.

"In the confusion the boat got adrift," said Brisket. "You've got their
own word for it. Not that they didn't behave well for landsmen: Mr.
Chalk's pluck was wonderful, and Mr. Tredgold was all right."

Mr. Stobell turned a dull but ferocious eye upon him.

"And you all got off in the other boat," said Tredgold. "I'm very glad."

Captain Brisket looked at him, but made no reply. The problem of how to
make the best of the situation was occupying all his attention.

"Me and Peter Duckett would be glad of some of our pay," he said, at
last.

"Pay?" repeated Tredgold, in a dazed voice.

Brisket looked at him again, and then gave a significant glance in the
direction of Captain Bowers. "We'd like twenty pounds on account--now,"
he said, calmly.

Tredgold looked hastily at his friends. "Come and see me to-morrow," he
said, nervously, "and we'll settle things."

"You can send us the rest," said Brisket, "but we want that now. We're
off to-night."

"But we must see you again," said Tredgold, who was anxious to make
arrangements about the schooner. "We--we've got a lot of things to talk
about. The--the ship, for instance."

"I'll talk about her now if you want me to," said Brisket, with
unpleasant readiness. "Meantime, we'd like that money."

Fortunately--or unfortunately--Tredgold had been to his bank that
morning, and, turning a deaf ear to the expostulations of Captain Bowers,
he produced his pocketbook, and after a consultation with Mr. Chalk, and
an attempt at one with the raging Stobell, counted out the money and
handed it over.

"And there is an I.O.U. for the remainder," he said, with an attempt at a
smile, as he wrote on a slip of paper.

Brisket took it with pleased surprise, and the mate, leaning against his
shoulder, read the contents: "_Where is the 'Fair Emily'?_"

"You might as well give me a receipt," said Tredgold, significantly, as
he passed over pencil and paper.

Captain Brisket thanked him and, sucking the pencil, eyed him
thoughtfully. Then he bent to the table and wrote.

"You sign here, Peter," he said.

Mr. Tredgold smiled at the precaution, but the smile faded when he took
the paper. It was a correctly worded receipt for twenty pounds. He began
to think that he had rated the captain's intelligence somewhat too
highly.

"Ah, we've had a hard time of it," sa