cabin-window,
and would not turn his head.

"I've brought you some dinner," I said, but he paid no attention, and I
repeated the words, but still he did not move. "Oh, very well," I said.
"If you like to be sulky, be so. I'll take it back."

He faced round in an instant. Hunger is, after all, very taming.

"Set it down," he said shortly; and thereat our eyes met, and he saw my
bruised and disfigured features. His face expanded in an unpleasantly
triumphant grin.

"Oh, all right," I said, setting the plate and biscuit down on the
locker, though feeling all the time as if I should like to take it back.
"Laugh away; you don't look so very beautiful, Mr Pirate Lieutenant."

He gave an angry start, and the smile changed to a savage frown, which
did not improve a pair of terribly black eyes and a cut and swollen lip.

But I was ready to give him quite as defiant a look as I opened the
door, and then going out I re-locked him in, and went back to my place,
ready for some more of the kangaroo stew.

"Well, was he very grateful?" said Mr Brymer.

I shook my head, and finished my dinner in silence, listening the while
to the men, who were singing uproariously.

"Your prescription seems to agree with them, Mr Frewen," said the mate
significantly, as we all rose.

"Yes; but wait a wee, as the Scotch folk say."

"Yes, up by the forecastle," said the mate. "Put your pistols in your
pockets, and we'll keep watch and listen to the effects of the drug
while the men have their meal. Dale, my lad, take Blane at the wheel a
portion, while I send the others to have theirs."

I hastily obeyed, taking a pretty good ration for Barney Blane, who must
have been having pretty good sniffs of the savoury food to slacken his
appetite, and he grinned hugely as he saw me approach.

"That's your sort, sir; I was getting hungry."

"Can you eat and steer too, Barney?" I said.

"Can I eat and steer too?" he cried. "You just set that theer on the
binnacle, sir, and come back in ten minutes and see."

"I will, Barney," I said, "and bring you some grog too."

"And I'll say you're a real gentleman, Mr Dale, sir, that I will, and
drink your health."

"You shall, Barney," I said, turning to go.

"But I say, sir, ain't they pretty lively down in the forksle?"

"Yes, very."

"What did you serve out? Were it rum?"

"No, Barney, soup," I said; "but wait a bit and they won't be quite so
merry."

"No, sir, they won't. It's unlim