Rectus did not look as happy as I thought a fellow ought to look, when starting out on such a jolly trip as we expected this to be.
I proposed that we should go and look at our state-room, which was number twenty-two, and so we went below.

The state-room hadn't much state about it.

It was very small, with two shelves for us to sleep on.
I let Rectus choose his shelf, and he took the lower one.

This suited me very well, for I'd much rather climb over a boy than have one climb over me.
There wasn't anything else in the room to divide, and we were just about to come out and call the thing settled, when I heard a shout at the door.

I turned around, and there stood Harry Alden, and Scott, and Tom Myers and his brother George! I tell you, I was glad to see them.