"Let us watch and see what they're up to." "They can't be hurting the poor brutes," said I, speaking in the same subdued tone, so as not to alarm the men and make them think anyone was listening; "I'm sure of that, or they would soon make a noise!" "I suppose I was mistaken," observed Tom presently, when we could not hear the sailor's whispering voices any longer nor any grunting from the pigs; although we kept our ears on the alert.

"I fancy, though, they were up to something, from a remark I heard just now when I passed by the fo'c's'le as the starboard watch were having their tea." "What was that ?" I asked.

"Did they speak of doing anything ?" "No-o," replied Tom hesitatingly, as if he did not quite like telling me all he knew, being afraid perhaps of my informing Mr Mackay, from the latter and I being now known to be close friends albeit I was only an apprentice and he the first mate.

"I only heard them joking about that beastly marmalade the skipper has palmed off on them, and us, too, worse luck, in lieu of our proper rations of salt junk; and one of them said he'd `like to swap all his lot for the voyage for a good square meal of roast pork,' that's all." "Why, any of us might have said that," cried I laughing, and not seeing any harm in the observation.

"I'm sure I would not object to a change of diet." Later on in the evening, though, what Tom had related was brought back to me with much point; for, a curious circumstance occurred shortly after "four bells," when it was beginning to get dark after sunset, the night closing in so rapidly.
The captain was then on the poop talking to Mr Saunders about something or other in which they both seemed deeply interested, the one sniffing and twitching his long nose about, and the other wagging his red beard as he moved his jaws in talking.