“I kept by the gate as soon as I came on dooty next evening, just to give ’im a little smile as ’e went out.  There is nothing more aggravating than a smile when it is properly done; but there was no signs o’ my lord, and, arter practising it on a carman by mistake, I ’ad to go inside for a bit and wait till he ’ad gorn.

“The coast was clear by the time I went back, and I ’ad just stepped outside with my back up agin the gate-post to ’ave a pipe, when I see a boy coming along with a bag.  Good-looking lad of about fifteen ’e was, nicely dressed in a serge suit, and he no sooner gets up to me than ’e puts down the bag and looks up at me with a timid sort o’ little smile.

“‘Good evening, cap’n,’ he ses.

“He wasn’t the fust that has made that mistake; older people than ’im have done it.

“‘Good evening, my lad,’ I ses.

“‘I s’pose,’ he ses, in a trembling voice, ’I suppose you ain’t looking out for a cabin-boy, sir?’

“‘Cabin-boy?’ I ses.  ‘No, I ain’t.’

“’I’ve run away from ‘ome to go to sea,’ he ses, and I’m afraid of being pursued.  Can I come inside?’

“Afore I could say ‘No’ he ’ad come, bag and all; and afore I could say anything else he ’ad nipped into the office and stood there with his ’and on his chest panting.

“‘I know I can trust you,’ he ses; ’I can see it by your face.”

“’Wot ’ave you run away from ‘ome for?’ I ses.  ’Have they been ill-treating of you?’

“‘Ill-treating me?’ he ses, with a laugh.  ’Not much.  Why, I expect my father is running about all over the place offering rewards for me.  He wouldn’t lose me for a thousand pounds.’

“I pricked up my ears at that; I don’t deny it.  Anybody would.  Besides, I knew it would be doing him a kindness to hand ’im back to ’is father.  And then I did a bit o’ thinking to see ’ow it was to be done.

“‘Sit down,’ I ses, putting three or four ledgers on the floor behind one of the desks.  ‘Sit down, and let’s talk it over.’

“We talked away for ever so long, but, do all I would, I couldn’t persuade ’im.  His ’ead was stuffed full of coral islands and smugglers and pirates and foreign ports.  He said ’e wanted to see the world, and flying-fish.

“‘I love the blue billers,’ he ses; ’the heaving blue billers is wot I want.’

“I tried to explain to ’im who would be doing the heaving, but ’e wouldn’t listen to me.  He sat on them ledgers like a little wooden image, looking up at me and shaking his ’ead, and when I told ’im of storms and shipwrecks he just smacked ’is lips and his blue eyes shone with joy.  Arter a time I saw it was no good trying to persuade ’im, and I pretended to give way.

“‘I think I can get you a ship with a friend o’ mine,’ I ses; ’but, mind, I’ve got to relieve your pore father’s mind—­I must let ’im know wot’s become of you.’

“‘Not before I’ve sailed,’ he ses, very quick.