"Very long to reach so far!" "I didn't mean that my ears went down to my boots," replied Bob, rather nettled at the insinuation; and he then continued the account of his experiences of the explosion.

"But, as I was saying, I first felt this pain; and then I seemed to be lifted off my feet, tumbling down this ladder here, and after that through a hole in the deck, amongst a lot of coal-dust and oil-cans, that messed my clothes a bit." "A bit ?" queried the Captain, chuckling now with much satisfaction at seeing him unhurt--"I should say a good deal, judging by appearances, Master Bob!" "Really ?" said he surveying himself ruefully, turning and twisting so as to get a view of his back.

"Well, I certainly am dirty, but I didn't look half so bad before I came up." "Ah, it's the light that does it," observed the lieutenant, chaffing him.

"However, if you will go rolling in the coal-bunkers and making love to the engineer's oil-cans, you must take the consequences!" "I didn't," replied Bob indignantly.

"You don't think I tumbled down there on purpose, do you ?" "Perhaps not," said the other, smiling.