Did you notice anything particular about him ?" "Only his temper," I said.

"Dear me, hasn't he got an awful one!" "Bless you he only puts half of it on to try and frighten you if you're a new hand," replied Jerrold as he jauntily walked into the cuddy with the air of a commodore.

"Only give him a little backsheesh and he'll do anything for you." "Backsheesh! What is that ?" "Palm oil--tip him.

Do you twig ?" whispered Tom; "but, mum's the word, here we are in the lion's den!" To my surprise, however, the whilom cranky steward made no difficulty about supplying our wants; and I strongly suspect that my fellow apprentice must have carried out his advice anent tipping Pedro that very morning, he was so extremely civil.

He gave us some cold fried ham and eggs, the remains no doubt of Captain Gillespie's breakfast, with the addition of some coffee which he heated up for us especially, and which I enjoyed all the more from its having some milk in it--it was the very last milk that I tasted until I landed in England again, alas! After making a hearty meal, I suggested to Tom that if he'd nothing to do we'd better go to work and make our cabin in the deck-house more cosy and habitable; and, on his agreeing, we left the cuddy, I taking care before going out to slip five shillings into the steward's ready palm as an earnest of my future intentions towards him should he treat me well.
"Well, you're in luck's way now, old fellow," said Jerrold when I told him of this outside the passage, Pedro retiring to his pantry to secrete my tip along with others he had probably already received.