he should never be
without a plentiful dinner. Even in the way he put the dog's food down
he showed his kind disposition; and while he was mixing up the mess and
Merlin stood by wagging his tail and licking his lips, Potto Jumbo
always cast a kind glance downwards at his four-footed friend, and
generally had a pleasant word to give him into the bargain.

For Oliver Farwell, however, he had a greater regard than for anybody on
board. I rather think because he more than any one else seemed to
require sympathy and protection. Though the boy had plenty of spirit,
he seemed scarcely fitted for the rough life on board ship. The other
boys, when they could do so without being seen by Potto Jumbo, amused
themselves by ridiculing and teasing Oliver. They seemed to delight in
playing him all sorts of tricks, and very often pretty rough ones too.
I had never spoken much to Oliver, though I observed that whenever Mr
Hooker was describing anything, Oliver, if he could do so without
impropriety, stopped and listened, and seemed to take great interest in
what was said. When work was over, I often saw him in the pantry
reading. Not only on Sundays, but every day nearly, it seemed to me, he
read the Bible at odd moments; indeed, a sailor at sea, unless he takes
odd moments for reading, may never read at all. Oliver had not only his
duties as a cabin-boy to attend to, but as he wished to become a sailor,
and the captain desired that he should become one, he was frequently
employed on deck.

At the moment I am describing, Oliver Farwell had gone forward, and with
several other boys was in the fore-rigging. What they were about I do
not remember, but, looking up, I saw they were skylarking, and it seemed
as if the others were trying to play Oliver some trick. Be that as it
may, all of a sudden I saw one of them fall from aloft. I thought it
was Oliver. Of course it ought not to have made any difference to me
who it was. I expected that he would be killed, but he struck the
hammock nettings, and bounded overboard. I did not stop a moment to
think. It did not occur to me that it would take a long time to heave
the ship to, and to lower a boat, and with the heavy sea running the
operation would be a difficult and dangerous one, and that it would be
equally difficult to pick anybody out of the water. I had been noted at
school for being a good swimmer, and had, just before I left, saved the
life of a school-fellow who had got