HOMEWARD BOUND. 137

such a charming bit of a sailor as you are, why drive
ahead. I think it must be a pretty poor subject, myself.”

“Do you really mean that, or did you receive so much
praise while at Hong Kong that you are hungering for
more, and expect me to gratify your vanity?”

«Tf you are going to begin in that strain, perhaps it
would be a good idea for me to see what I can do toward
helping Mr. Bean crack on more sail,” Ben replied, with a
laugh, as he made a feint of turning away, but yet had no
intention of bringing the conversation to such an abrupt
conclusion.

“Of course that wasn’t it, at all; but you provoked the
reply by saying disagreeable things regarding a young man
whom I consider a very good friend of mine.”

“If you’ve started on that tack I shall be willing to
stand here and listen to you all night, no matter what may
come up in the way of sea dangers, for it makes me proud
to have you speak of me as a friend.”

“There is no occasion for pride in anything of that sort ;
it is my vanity which is flattered by such a state of affairs ;
but now you see we are getting yet further from what I
intended to speak about.”

“Put your helm hard down, then, and swing around to
the true course.”

“Ay, ay, sir, here it is: Do you remember that you
entirely neglected to feed the captain of this brig to-day
at noon?”

“Well, yes, it seems to me I have an indistinct rec-
ollection of something of that kind ; but then, bless your