“Pollish!” shouted the captain angrily, when his first call brought no response; and the second gave no better result. Capt. Bendig seemed to be angry, and he stalked out of the room. But Wade heard his voice a moment later, for he had discovered the steward asleep in the passage-way. “What do you pretend to be asleep for, you rascal you?” demanded the skipper of the yacht. “I was asleep, sir,” replied Pollish. “I have been up all night, and I was very tired.” “Up all night, were you? And why were you up all night?” inquired the captain sharply. “I had to look out for the vessel, you see. I did not know at what time you and the passengers were coming; and so I staid on deck all night,” replied Pollish with proper meekness. “I had the cabin lighted and every thing ready for you since seven o’clock last evening. I was sleepy; but I was afraid to lose myself for a moment. I know how particular you are, sir; and I did not leave the deck even for a minute; and it was so cold on deck I could not go to sleep there.” One thing was certain to Wade, if it was not to any one else on board of the yacht: that Pollish was an abominable liar. It was probable that he had been on a spree with Beafbon the cook. Wade was entirely willing to refrain from telling what he knew about the matter for the present; but he stored up what he had heard for use in the future. Certainly if this man had been faithful to his duty, and had not left the fore skylight unfastened, the wanderer could not have obtained admission to the interior of the vessel. “Don’t tell me you were asleep,” said the captain, after he had listened to the long speech of the steward. “What have you done with my beefsteak?” “With your beefsteak, sir?” and Wade was willing to believe that he was surprised at the implied charge. “That’s what I said! Why don’t you answer me, instead of repeating what I say? What have you done with my steak?” “I have not done any thing with it. I put it on the table, and that is the last I saw of it,” answered Pollish; and Wade believed he told the truth, whatever opinion Capt. Bendig had on the subject. “I know you put it on the table, and I ate part of it; then I had to go on deck to look after the course of the vessel. When I came back, the steak and half of the bread were gone. Tell the truth for once in your life, and own up that you ate it.” “But I didn’t eat it, sir,” protested the steward. “Then what has become of it?” demanded the captain sternly. “I don’t know, sir. I lay down in the passage while you were eating, and I didn’t wake again till you called me. I was very tired, sir, for Beafbon and me had to work very hard in the afternoon to get the provisions and stores in; and then not to get a wink of sleep, it was more than I could stand,” protested Pollish. “Have any of the hands been below?” “Not that I know of, sir: if they did, they had to step over me, for I lay by the door of your room.”