annel, making
an excellent passage. I took up my place by the mizzen-rigging, near
which there were no seamen at work, so that I could puzzle out a new
hiding-place for my letters. I noticed, as I stood there, that some men
were getting a boat over the side. It seemed a queer thing to be doing
in the Channel, so far from the port to which we were bound; but I did
not pay much attention to it at the time, as I was very anxious. I was
wondering what in the world I could do with the pistol cartridges which
I had made that morning. I feared Aurelia. For all that I could tell she
was looking at me as I stood there, guessing, from my face, that I had
other letters upon me. It did not occur to me that my anxiety might be
taken for grief at having the satchel searched. At last it came into
my head that Aurelia, if she were in the ship, would follow up that
morning's work promptly, before I could devise a fresh hiding-place.
At any rate I felt pretty sure that I should not be much out of that
observation until the night. It came into my head that the next attack
would be upon my boots; for in those days secret agents frequently hid
their papers above a false boot-sole, or stitched them into the double
leather where the beckets, or handles, joined the leg of the boot at the
rim.

Sure enough, I had not been very long on deck when the ship's boy
appeared before me. He was an abject looking lad, like most ship's boys.
I suppose no one would become a ship's boy until he had proved himself
unfit for life anywhere else. Personally, I had rather be a desert
savage than a ship's boy. My experience on La Reina was enough to sicken
me of such a life forever. This barquentine's boy came up to me, as I
have said.

"Sir," he said, "can I take away your boots to black, please?"

"No," I answered, "my boots don't want blacking. I grease them myself."

"Please, sir," he said, "do let me take them away, sir."

"No," I said. "I grease them myself, thank you." I thought that this
would end the business; but no such matter.

"Please, sir," he said, "I wish you would let me take them away. The
captain'll wale me if I don't. He gave me orders, sir."

"Don't call me 'sir,'" I said. "I'll see the captain myself."

I walked quickly to the companion-way, below which (listening to us,
like the creature he was) sat the captain, carving the end of a stick.

"Please, sir," I said, "I've already greased my boots this morning. I
always grease them."