"Food now, if there is to be any," he said.

"What is in yon kettle ?" Now that we were forward we had seen that against this end of the penthouse no fagots had been piled.

The red and white striped awnings of the decks were set there, carefully rolled up round their carved supports, and they rested on a stout sea bedstead, such as might be carried on board for the chief to whom the ship belonged.

Two more chests stood at the head and foot of this bedstead, and they were carved, as indeed was the bed.

It was plain that all the gear on board belonged to some great house.
But six or eight feet forward of these things, and in the midst of a clear space of deck, was a shallow square box full of sand, and on that was set the covered kettle of which our comrade spoke.