e treated as a deserter, he resolved to desert in
good earnest at the first opportunity that offered.

By the third day nobody took any notice of him, and his presence on
board was almost forgotten, until Bob, going down to the forecastle,
created a stir by asking somewhat excitedly what had become of him.

"He's on deck, I s'pose," said the cook, who was having a pipe.

"He's not," said Bob, solemnly.

"He's not gone overboard, I s'pose?" said Bill, starting up.

Touched by this morbid suggestion they went up on deck and looked round;
Private Bliss was nowhere to be seen, and Ted, who was steering, Had
heard no splash. He seemed to have disappeared by magic, and the cook,
after a hurried search, ventured aft, and, descending to the cabin,
mentioned his fears to the skipper.

"Nonsense!" said that gentleman, sharply, "I'll lay I'll find him."

He came on deck and looked round, followed at a respectful distance by
the crew, but there was no sign of Mr. Bliss.

Then an idea, a horrid idea, occurred to the cook. The colour left his
cheeks and he gazed helplessly at the skipper.

"What is it?" bawled the latter.

The cook, incapable of speech, raised a trembling hand and pointed
to the galley. The skipper started, and, rushing to the door, drew it
hastily back.

Mr. Bliss had apparently finished, though he still toyed languidly with
his knife and fork as though loath to put them down. A half-emptied
saucepan of potatoes stood on the floor by his side, and a bone, with a
small fragment of meat adhering, was between his legs on a saucepan lid
which served as a dish.

"Rather underdone, cook," he said, severely, as he met that worthy's
horror-stricken gaze.

"Is that the cabin's or the men's he's eaten?" vociferated the skipper.

"Cabin's," replied Mr. Bliss, before the cook could speak; "it looked
the best. Now, has anybody got a nice see-gar?"

He drew back the door the other side of the galley as he spoke, and went
out that way. A move was made towards him, but he backed, and picking up
a handspike swung it round his head.

"Let him be," said the skipper in a choking voice, "let him be. He'll
have to answer for stealing my dinner when I get 'im ashore. Cook, take
the men's dinner down into the cabin. I'll talk to you by and by."

He walked aft and disappeared below, while Private Bliss, still fondling
the handspike, listened unmoved to a lengthy vituperation which Bill
called a plain and honest opinion o