Yank met us at the top of the gangway, and assisted us in getting our baggage aboard. Johnny and I peppered him with questions, to which he vouchsafed no answer. When we had paid off the boatman, he led the way down a hatch into a very dark hole near the bows. A dim lantern swayed to and fro, through the murk we could make out a dozen bunks. "They call this the fo'cas'le," said Yank placidly. "Crew sleeps here. This is our happy home. Everything else full up. We four," said he, with a little flash of triumph, "are just about the only galoots of the whole b'iling at Panama that gets passage. She's loaded to the muzzle with men that's come away around the Horn in her; and the only reason she stopped in here at all is to get a new thing-um-a-jig of some sort that she had lost or busted or something." "Well, I don't like my happy home while she wobbles so," said Johnny. "I'm going to be seasick, as usual. But for heaven's sake, Yank, tell us where you came from, and all about it. And make it brief, for I'm going to be seasick pretty soon." He lay down in one of the bunks and closed his eyes. "You'd much better come up on deck into the fresh air," said Talbot. "Fire ahead, Yank! Please!" begged Johnny. "Well," said Yank, "when I drew that steamer ticket, it struck me that somebody might want it a lot more than I did, especially as you fellows drew blank. So I hunted up a man who was in a hurry, and sold it to him for five hundred dollars. Then I hired one of these sail-rigged fishing boats and laid in grub for a week and went cruising out to sea five or six miles." Johnny opened one eye. "Why?" he demanded feebly. "I was figgerin' on meeting any old ship that came along a little before the crowd got at her," said Yank. "And judgin' by the gang's remarks that just left, I should think I'd figgered just right." "You bet you did," put in Talbot emphatically. "It must have been mighty uncomfortable cruising out there in that little boat so long," said I. "I wonder the men would stick." "I paid them and they had to," said Yank grimly. "Why didn't you let us in on it?" I asked. "What for? It was only a one-man job. So then I struck this ship, and got aboard her after a little trouble persuading her to stop. There wasn't no way of making that captain believe we'd sleep anywheres we could except cash; so I had to pay him a good deal." "How much?" demanded Talbot. "It came to two hundred apiece. I'm sorry." "Glory be!" shouted Talbot, "we're ahead of the game. Yank, you long-headed old pirate, let me shake you by the hand!" "I wish you fellows would go away," begged Johnny.