I don't know how it is, but so sure as you don't want to be seen doing anything, everyone is on the way to meet you. It was so then. I was carefully balancing the steaming basin so as not to spill any of its contents on the white deck, as the ship rose and fell, when I came upon the doctor, who laughed. The next minute Mr Brymer popped upon me. "Hullo!" he said, "who's that for?" "Mr Walters, sir." "Humph!" I went on watching the surface of the soup, which kept on threatening to slop over, when a rough voice said-- "Thankye, sir. I'll have it here. Did you put in the salt?" I gave the speaker, Bob Hampton, a sharp look, and saw that the two men who were generally near him, Barney Blane and Dumlow, were showing all their teeth as they indulged in hard grins; and then I was close upon the cabin-door, but started and stopped short as I heard a cough, and looking up, there was the captain leaning over the rail and watching me. "That's not your duty, is it, my lad?" he said. "No, sir. For Walters, sir, before he comes on deck." "Oh!" he ejaculated with a grim look, and he turned away, while I dived in through the door and made my way to the cabin, where I could hear that Walters was having a good wash. "Here, I've brought you something to take," I cried. He glanced round sharply, saw what I had, and took no more notice, but went on with his washing. "Better have it while it's hot," I said. He took up the towel and began to rub. "Look sharp, you must take it," I cried. "If I stand it down, it will slop over the side." "Oh, well, if you won't," I cried at last, "I shall eat it myself." He threw down the towel, turned, half-snatched the basin away, and held it as if he were going to throw the contents in my face. His action was so sudden that I flinched. "Ah, you know you deserve it," he cried, sourly. "Yes, shall I eat it?" I replied, recovering myself. "Bah!" he snarled out, and feeling that I had done all that was necessary, I backed away and went up on deck, from whence I saw my messmate come out of the cabin about ten minutes after, and as the captain signed to him to come near, I slipped down out of curiosity, hurried to the cabin, and found that the basin was emptied to the last drop. I ran forward and popped my head in at the galley. "Send a boy to fetch the empty basin from our cabin," I said quickly. "All right, sir," was the reply, and I went aft, just as Walters was leaving the cabin, but he took care not to come near me, and I went on with my work. CHAPTER SEVEN. Down south we sailed as swiftly as favouring gales and plenty of sail could take us, and in course of time we had passed below the Azores, and every one on board was waking up to the fact that we were getting into latitudes where the weather grew hotter and more sunshiny day by day.