Puffeigh was very anxious to fall in with a prize, his principal reason for taking command of the Stinger being to save house expenses, and make as much prize money as possible. In order, therefore, still further to retrench his expenditure, he discharged his steward before leaving Hong-Kong, and, of all persons in the world, took the boy Jordun as his attendant; assigning as a reason that the boy being unfitted for heavy work, it was better to make a steward of him than to send him home, where he would be a burden to his friends. Not only was this excuse untrue, but the captain actually saved money by having the boy as his servant; and that exclusive of the salary he would have paid a proper steward. William Jordun was rated captain's steward, and his rations claimed by that officer, who was paid for them, the boy being fed upon the scraps and leavings of his master's meals. Of course, under these circumstances, none of the officers were ever invited to dine in his cabin; and it was amusing to hear the excuses he invented in order to explain his not having a competent servant. "It was very unfortunate my not being able to obtain that French steward, was it not?" he observed to one of his officers. "I made up my mind to ship the fellow when the admiral bagged him." "He lost a good situation, and no doubt he has since regretted it," replied the officer with respectful sarcasm. Master William had never much fear of Puffeigh, but when he became his servant the little he had quickly vanished, and he talked to his captain in the most confidential and cheeky manner, as the following conversation will sufficiently show: "What did you do with those chops left by me at dinner yesterday?" "Chops?" "Yes, two large fat chops; surely you did not eat them for your dinner?" "I never seed you leave no chops, sir." "You did not see two chops left yesterday?" "No, sir, there was no chops left that I seed; you must ha' eat 'em and forgot it." "Well, you little thief, you stole them. I'll flog you if you don't confess." "I a thief, sir! Well, how you can say that, I don't know. Why, I might as well say that you stole 'em." "Silence! What did you have for your dinner yesterday?" "Let me see. I had two chops--some taters--" "Hang you, you little thief! Why did you deny having stolen them?" "I denigh avin a hooked them, sir. Oh! where does you expect to go to?" "I'll flog you. Go to the pantry and think over that. As soon as we're in port and I can get a steward. I'll flog you." "Well, I never. You flog me for eatin' my dinner. I'm allowed as much as I can eat by the government, and you takes and grabs my rashions, and gets paid for 'em, and I eats yer leavins,--them yesterday were two chops,--now how you're going to flog me for that, I can't see." "Silence!" The boy Jordun pulled his forelock, and left the captain's presence.