CHAPTER SIX.
THE CAPTAIN'S COW.
"Why, Jake!" I cried out.

"How have you contrived to come here ?" "Am dat you, Mass' Tom ?" he answered catching sight of me behind the captain.

"Golly, I tole you so; I'se tole you I come 'board ship wid you somehow or nudder.

Who 'peak de trute now, hey?
golly, yah, yah, I'se so berry glad!" and the poor faithful fellow commencing with one of his hearty African laughs ended in his voice breaking into a sob of joy that evidently came from the bottom of his heart.
From hearing his words Captain Miles immediately began to "smell a rat," as the saying goes.
"You impudent black rascal!" he said, half in joke, pretending to be angry, and yet partly in earnest.

"What the dickens do you mean by shipping yourself aboard my vessel in this fashion without leave or license ?" "I'se come for to go wid Mass' Tom," answered Jake meekly.
"But how did you get off from the shore and overhaul the ship ?" continued Captain Miles, pursuing his inquiries, the hands around meanwhile commencing to nudge one another and exchange grins as the colloquy waxed warm between the two principal performers.
"I tell you for true, massa, beliebe me," said Jake earnestly.