"Is it like the one of which the passenger complained?" said Brace, laughing. "Eh? I dunno," said the skipper, staring. "I don't know that I ever heard of that one. What sort of a pudding was that?" "It must have been worse than your cook's, for the passenger said he did not mind putting up with flies for currants, but when it came to cockroaches for raisins he felt bound to strike." The skipper screwed his face up till there were so many wrinkles that there did not seem to be room for another. "No," he said, "my cook's plum-duff was never so bad as that, squire; but there's no knowing what may happen. If it ever does get so bad you and me'll drop him overboard. Now then, gentlemen, like to see the men's quarters?" "Oh, no, captain," said Sir Humphrey; "we're quite satisfied." "You take the rest from the sample you've seen?" "Certainly," replied Sir Humphrey. "Then the next thing is to get your traps on board, sir--later on, as I said." "Exactly. We'll go back ashore, and you can look at them, and then I suppose we may leave it to you." "Yes, gentlemen; I'll give orders to my first mate, and he'll have 'em brought aboard and stored in a compartment below that I've got partitioned off with bulkheads. There's a hatch in the deck, and a way in as well from the cabins, so that you can get to the stores when you like." "What about the ammunition?" "There's a place below communicating with the compartment by a trap, sir. Come and see." The captain led the way into the dark store-like place, which proved to be eminently satisfactory, cut off as it was from the brig's hold. Soon afterwards the brothers went ashore, congratulating themselves upon how capitally matters had turned out; and the first face they saw upon landing was that of the American, who was seated under a tree smoking an enormously long cigar and making the fumes of the tobacco hang round beneath the wide brim of his white Panama hat. "Keeps the flies off," he said, nodding to Brace. "Try one?" "Thanks, no," said Brace, as he had a whiff of the strong, rank tobacco. "I'd rather have the flies." "So would I, Brace," said Sir Humphrey angrily, as they went into the hotel; "and the smoke too, rather than that man's company. Bah! how he does annoy me with his inquisitive ways!" CHAPTER FIVE. LUGGAGE ABOARD. Inquisitive ways indeed, for as the evening drew near there was the American still smoking as he sat in a deck chair watching the crew of the "Jason" busily getting the packages belonging to the brothers on board. Brace had made up his mind to see the luggage and stores placed on board the brig, which had now been warped alongside one of the wharves; but, on going out from the hotel and catching sight of the American, he went back and joined his brother, who was having a long final chat with Captain Banes.