d man, "as 'ow it's a
good thing to go for a day or so without food sometimes."

"Who said so?" inquired Private Bliss, hotly.

"Diff'rent people," replied the cook.

"You can tell 'em from me they're blamed fools," said Mr. Bliss.

There was an uncomfortable silence; Mr. Bliss lit his pipe, but it did
not seem to draw well.

"Did you like that pot o' six-half I stood you last night?" he inquired
somewhat pointedly of Bob.

Bob hesitated and looked at his plate.

"No, it was a bit flat," he said at length.

"Well, I won't stop you chaps at your grub," said Private Bliss,
bitterly, as he turned to depart.

"You're not stopping us," said Ted, cheerfully. "I'd offer you a bit,
only--"

"Only what?" demanded the other.

"Skipper's orders," said Ted. "He ses we're not to. He ses if we do it's
helping a deserter, and we'll all get six months."

"But you're helping me by having me on board," said Private Bliss;
"besides, I don't want to desert."

"We couldn't 'elp you coming aboard," said Bill, "that's wot the old man
said, but 'e ses we can 'elp giving of him vittles, he ses."

"Well, have I got to starve?" demanded the horror-stricken Mr. Bliss.

"Look 'ere," said Bill, frankly, "go and speak to the old man. It's no
good talking to us. Go and have it out with him."

Private Bliss thanked him and went on deck. Old Thomas was at the wheel,
and a pleasant clatter of knives and forks came up through the open
skylight of the cabin. Ignoring the old man, who waved him away, he
raised the open skylight still higher, and thrust his head in.

"Go away," bawled the skipper, pausing with his knife in his fist as he
caught sight of him.

"I want to know where I'm to have my dinner," bawled back the thoroughly
roused Mr. Bliss.

"Your _dinner!_" said the skipper, with an air of surprise; "why, I
didn't know you 'ad any."

Private Bliss took his head away, and holding it very erect, took in his
belt a little and walked slowly up and down the deck. Then he went
to the water-cask and took a long drink, and an hour later a generous
message was received from the skipper that he might have as many
biscuits as he liked.

On this plain fare Private Bliss lived the whole of that day and the
next, snatching a few hours' troubled sleep on the locker at nights. His
peace of mind was by no means increased by the information of Ted
that Bystermouth was a garrison town, and feeling that in spite of any
explanation he would b