“Of course not.  I’ll do anything I can for you,” answered Bob, glad to make the closer acquaintance of the men.

“Then would you kindly go to Captain Spark and ask him for a left-handed marlinspike?  We need it to splice this hawser with.  He keeps it in his cabin because there’s only one on board and it’s quite a valuable instrument.”

The man spoke as gravely as a judge.

“A left-handed marlinspike?” repeated Bob.  “I suppose one of the sailors must be left-handed,” he thought.

He knew what a marlinspike was from having seen the men use the sharp-pointed irons to pick apart the strands of rope preparatory to splicing, so, anxious to be of service, he hurried to Captain Spark’s cabin.

“The men sent me for a left-handed marlinspike,” he said, interrupting the commander, who was busy over his accounts.

“A left-handed marlinspike,” repeated the commander, at once understanding the joke.

“Yes, sir.”

“I’m sorry,” was the answer, gravely given, “but I lost it overboard a while ago.  You’d better go to Mr. Carr and ask him for the scuttle-butt.  That will do as well.”

“Yes, sir,” replied Bob, who, not suspecting anything, hunted up the first mate and made his request.

“You’ll find it right over there,” said Mr. Carr, pointing to a big water barrel on deck.  It was one from which the sailors drank.  “If it’s too heavy for you, you’d better get help,” said Mr. Carr, trying not to smile.  But Bob was aware now that he had been made the butt of a joke, and though he felt a little embarrassed, he had to laugh in spite of himself.

“That’s pretty good,” he said.  “A left-handed marlinspike turns into a scuttle-butt, and that turns into a water barrel.  I’ve got lots to learn yet.”

He could hear the sailors laughing at the trick they had played, with the consent of the first mate, and with a grim smile Bob resolved to get even.

CHAPTER XIII

BOB TRIES A PRANK

The Eagle was sailing along under a spanking breeze, and already the motion of Old Briny was beginning to make itself felt.  The vessel rolled to a considerable degree, and as she passed farther and farther out to sea this became more pronounced.

Bob, who had been active in visiting different parts of the ship, watching the sailors at their duties, and picking up bits of information here and there, soon got over his little indignation against those who had played the joke on him.  But he soon became conscious of another feeling.

This was a decidedly uneasy one, and for the first time since he had begun to think of the voyage Bob began to fear he was going to be seasick.

“I certainly do feel queer,” said our hero to himself as he leaned against the railing amidships.  “I wonder what I’d better do?  Perhaps I’m moving around too much.  I’ll keep quiet.”