age of Muggins, and he
said--

"Of coorse I'll remain too. It would be madness for an old salt like me
to go paddlin' about the ocean in a cockleshell of a boat when he has
the chance of sailin' in a good ship. Put me down too, capting. I'm
game for anything a'most, from pitch an' toss to manslaughter."

So Muggins was added to the ship's company, and poor Mr Cupples went
over the side with a face almost as long as his thin body, because of
what he deemed the depravity and desertion of his old shipmates.
Several of the ship's crew, who refused to join, also went into the
boat, which was then cast loose, and dropped rapidly astern.

The whole of this exciting scene passed so quickly, that it was only
when the boat was far away, like a speck on the sea, that Will Osten
realised the fact that he had actually said farewell, perhaps for over,
to his late comrades. But he had not much time given him for
reflection, for the new captain, after changing the course of the ship,
and making a few arrangements to suit the altered state of affairs,
ordered him to go forward and do duty as a common seaman, telling him
that he did not intend to have any land-lubbers or idlers aboard, and
that he would be called to do doctor's work when his services should be
required.

That night our hero contrived to hold a whispering interview, in a dark
corner of the forecastle, with his friends Larry O'Hale and Muggins. He
found that the former had resolved to join the crew in order to be near
himself; that Muggins had joined, because of his desire to share the
fortunes of Larry; and that both had made up their minds to effect their
escape on the first favourable opportunity.

"Now, ye see, boys," said Larry, "this is how it is--"

"Don't open your bread-basket hatch so wide," growled Muggins, "else
you'll be overheerd--that's wot it is."

"This is how it is," repeated Larry, "not bein' fish, nor gulls, nor say
sarpints, we haven't the ghost of a chance of gettin' away from this
ship till we're close to land, an' even then we wont have much chance if
it's suspected that we want to escape. What then?--why, let us from
this hour agree to give each other the cowld shoulder, and go at our
work as if we liked it."

"You're right, Larry," said Will. "If they see us much together,
they'll naturally suspect that we are plotting, so--"

At this point a voice growled from an adjacent hammock--

"Avast spinnin' yarns there, will 'e!"

"Ay