in brace o' shakes;
and now tings fix up tarnation smart, nobody come. Um berry
aggerabating--can't oberstand it, no how!"

"None o' your sass," said Seth gruffly, although the lurking smile on
his face took off from the effect of his words, "none o' your sass,
Jasper, or I'll keelhaul you, and make you fancy yourself aboard ship
once more!"

"Me not sassy, Massa Seth. I'se hab too much respect for myself, sah,
for dat! I only tells you as de meat's done and gettin' cool, dat's
all, while yous be all jabberin' way jus like passul monkeys. No
imperance in dat, massa, as I sees!"

"Stow that, you ugly cuss," said Seth good-humouredly, for he was used
somewhat to Master Jasper's "cheek" by this time. "You're jest about as
bad as a Philadelphy lawyer, when you've got your jaw tackle aboard!
Now, boys," he added, hailing the miners, who were nothing loth to obey
the signal, "the darkey says the vittles are ready, and you as wants to
feed had better fall to!"

STORY ONE, CHAPTER NINE.

CONCERNING SAILOR BILL.

During this little interlude, Ernest Wilton had been closely engaged in
watching the actions of the poor boy, "Sailor Bill."

His face had attracted him from the first moment he caught sight of him;
but when he had more leisure to observe him, after the palaver with Mr
Rawlings and the miners was over, and he noticed certain peculiarities
about the object of his attention which had previously escaped his
notice, his interest became greatly heightened.

Sailor Bill had altered very much in appearance since the day he had
been picked up in the Bay of Biscay and taken on board the _Susan Jane_,
a thin, delicate-looking boy with a pale face and a wasted frame. The
keen healthy air and out-of-doors life out west had worked wonders with
him, and he was now rosy and stalwart, his body having filled out and
his cheeks grown much fatter, while he was even considerably taller than
he had been some six months previously.

His bright golden-brown hair was, of course, the same, and so were the
long dark lashes to the blue eyes that had so especially appealed to
Captain Blowser's fancy when he had spoken about the boy's resemblance
to a girl, for they yet bore the same peculiar far-away look as if they
belonged to a person walking in his sleep, without intelligence or
notice in them whatever.

As on board ship, Sailor Bill stuck to Seth Allport as his shadow,
moving where he moved, stopping where he stopped, w