s, of the barque _Venus_, gave me a passage
to London," said Mr. Wiggett, "and I've tramped down from there without
a penny in my pocket."

"And Sol Ketchmaid's glad to see you, sir," said Mr. Smith, who,
with the rest of the company, had been looking on in a state of great
admiration. "He's never tired of telling us 'ow you saved him from the
shark and 'ad your leg bit off in so doing."

"I'd 'ave my other bit off for 'im, too," said Mr. Wiggett, as the
landlord patted him affectionately on the shoulder and thrust a glass of
spirits into his hands. "Cheerful, I would. The kindest-'earted and the
bravest man that ever breathed, is old Sol Ketchmaid."

He took the landlord's hand again, and, squeezing it affectionately,
looked round the comfortable bar with much approval. They began to
converse in the low tones of confidence, and names which had figured in
many of the landlord's stories fell continuously on the listeners' ears.

"You never 'eard anything more o' pore Sam Jones, I s'pose?" said Mr.
Ketchmaid.

Mr. Wiggett put down his glass.

"I ran up agin a man in Rio Janeiro two years ago," he said, mournfully.
"Pore old Sam died in 'is arms with your name upon 'is honest black
lips."

"Enough to kill any man," muttered the discomfited Mr. Clark, looking
round defiantly upon his murmuring friends.

"Who is this putty-faced swab, Sol?" demanded Mr. Wiggett, turning a
fierce glance in the shoemaker's direction.

"He's our cobbler," said the landlord, "but you don't want to take no
notice of 'im. Nobody else does. He's a man who as good as told me I'm a
liar."

"Wot!" said Mr. Wiggett, rising and stumping across the bar; "take it
back, mate. I've only got one leg, but nobody shall run down Sol while I
can draw breath. The finest sailor-man that ever trod a deck is Sol, and
the best-'earted."

"Hear, hear," said Mr. Smith; "own up as you're in the wrong, Ned."

"When I was laying in my bunk in the fo'c's'le being nursed back to
life," continued Mr. Wig-gett, enthusiastically, "who was it that set by
my side 'olding my 'and and telling me to live for his sake?--why, Sol
Ketchmaid. Who was it that said that he'd stick to me for life?--why Sol
Ketchmaid. Who was it said that so long as 'e 'ad a crust I should have
first bite at it, and so long as 'e 'ad a bed I should 'ave first half
of it?--why, Sol Ketchmaid!"

He paused to take breath, and a flattering murmur arose from his
listeners, while the subject of