d; they'll want a shilling to row you aboard,
or perhaps as you're a orficer, like, they'll want two shillings."

Bob's heart sank.

"But thruppence is plenty, speshly as you ain't got no kit."

Bob's spirits rose again, and the man began to whistle a very doleful
tune, but left off in a minute or two.

"Like holidays?" he said suddenly.

"Yes, very much."

"I don't," said the sailor, "goes home to see my old mother, and she
don't want me to come away again. Says she shan't never see me no more
if I go, but she allus does. This makes ten times in ten years I've
been, since I went to sea. Awful old."

"Is she?" said the Skipper.

"Awful. Eighty-seven, and looks ninety. You'd like her."

"Yes, I suppose so," said the Skipper.

"Nicest old woman as ever was:--I say," he added, as if struck by a
sudden thought, "how much money have you got?"

The Skipper told him, and the man laughed.

"More'n I have. Spent some, give the old ooman the rest. On'y got
thruppence left. Look here: you and me's shipmets,--travellers. S'pose
we jyne?"

"A ship?" faltered Bob.

"No! jyne in a boat. I'll work it: I'm bigger than you. We'll go down
to the stairs together. 'Boat ahoy!' says I, and half a dozen'll want
to take us, but I picks one and he'll want ever so much; but I says:
'Thruppence a-piece to our ships,' and tells him we won't pay no more.
He'll be glad enough to go. Only a little way. Then I sets you aboard
the 'Flash'; you gives me your thruppence, and I makes him take me to
the _Old Bull_, and pays him then."

"Yes, that will be capital," said the Skipper.

"Right you are. Sailors allus helps a messmet. I helps you and you
helps me, eh!"

"Yes, of course," said Bob.

"Well, I'm going to have a caulk till we gets to Portsmouth. Will you
take the watch?"

"The watch?"

"Ay! you won't go to sleep?"

"Oh, no!" said the Skipper; "I couldn't now."

"I could," said the man, grinning; "look-ye here."

He snuggled up in his corner, laid his head on his canvas bag, shut his
eyes, and the next minute he snored his hat off, ready for his
fellow-traveller to pick it up again, lay it on the seat, and then look
out of the window as the train dawdled along, stopping at every
station, a long time at a junction.

It was rapidly growing dark when they reached the harbour, the sailor
sound asleep; and the Skipper had to shake him and shout in his ear:--

"Portsmouth!"

CHAPTER VII.

"Ay, ay," growled the