d I'd get out of the Straits before the afternoon; and,
you know, when I say a thing I always mean a thing!"

"Aye, aye," returned the other, motioning to the helmsman to keep her
off a bit as the ship luffed up; "but we'll soon have to come about, for
we'll be getting a little too near that shoal to the eastwards on this
tack."

"Very good," said the captain; "whenever you please."

"I think we'll wait till we pass the South Sands light," replied the
pilot. "Then we can round the Foreland handsomely on the starboard tack
with the wind well abaft our beam."

"All right!" was Captain Gillespie's laconic response, rubbing his hands
gleefully together again. "Carry-on."

Noticing Tom Jerrold just then on the main-deck, I went down from off
the poop and joined him.

"Have you had any breakfast?" he asked when I got up to him, patting his
stomach significantly. "I was just thinking of getting mine as I feel
very empty here, for all the rest have had theirs."

"No, I haven't had anything but some coffee the cook brought me a long
while ago, and I feel hungry too," I replied. "Where do we get our
meals?"

"In the cuddy, after the captain and mates have done grubbing," he said.
"Come along with me and we'll rouse up that Portugee steward."

"What! Pedro?"

"Yes; you've made his acquaintance already, I see. Did you notice
anything particular about him?"

"Only his temper," I said. "Dear me, hasn't he got an awful one!"

"Bless you he only puts half of it on to try and frighten you if you're
a new hand," replied Jerrold as he jauntily walked into the cuddy with
the air of a commodore. "Only give him a little backsheesh and he'll do
anything for you."

"Backsheesh! What is that?"

"Palm oil--tip him. Do you twig?" whispered Tom; "but, mum's the word,
here we are in the lion's den!"

To my surprise, however, the whilom cranky steward made no difficulty
about supplying our wants; and I strongly suspect that my fellow
apprentice must have carried out his advice anent tipping Pedro that
very morning, he was so extremely civil. He gave us some cold fried ham
and eggs, the remains no doubt of Captain Gillespie's breakfast, with
the addition of some coffee which he heated up for us especially, and
which I enjoyed all the more from its having some milk in it--it was the
very last milk that I tasted until I landed in England again, alas!

After making a hearty meal, I suggested to Tom that if he'd nothing to