"We have only to thank ourselves for getting into this scrape, and the most sensible thing we can do now is to grin and bear whatever we've got to put up with." This exactly agreed with my own conclusions, and I signified my assent to the sound philosophy of Tom's remark with my usual nod; but, as for Jorrocks, he was completely carried away with enthusiasm.
"Right you are, my hearty!" he cried, wringing Tom's hand in the grip of his brawny fist as if he would shake it off.

"That's the sort o' lad for me! You've an old head on young shoulders, you have--you'll get on with the skipper, no fear; and me and my mates will make you both as com'able aboard as we can; theer, I can say no better, can I ?" "No," replied Tom, in an equally hearty tone.
The _Saucy Sall_ being only of small tonnage, she had a correspondingly small crew, seven men and a boy--including the skipper and Jorrocks, and excluding ourselves for the present--comprising "all hands." Of this number, one was aft now, taking his turn at the wheel, with the skipper standing beside him, while a couple of others were lounging about, ready to slacken off or haul taut the sheets; and the remainder, whose watch below it was, were seeing to the preparations for dinner--a savoury smell coming out from the fo'c's'le heads, that was most appetising to Tom and me, who were both longing to have once more a good hot meal.
Presently, the skipper shouted out something about "making it eight bells," whereupon Jorrocks took hold of a marlinspike, which he had seemingly ready for the purpose, striking eight sharp, quick blows on a little bell hanging right under the break of the little topgallant fo'c's'le, with which the old-fashioned coaster was built.
"That's the pipe down to dinner," he said to us in explanatory fashion.
"Come along o' me, and I'll introduce you to yer messmates in proper shipshape way!" Thereupon, we both followed Jorrocks into the dark little den in the fore-part of the vessel, with which Tom had first made acquaintance the night we went on board, after escaping from Dr Hellyer's, now four days since--a long while it seemed to us, although only so short an interval, from the experiences we had since gained, and our entirely new mode of life.

The place was small and dark, with bunks ranged along either side, and a stove in the centre, at which one of the hands, selected as cook, was just giving a final stir to a steaming compound of meat, potatoes, and biscuit, all stewed up together, and dubbed by sailors "lobscouse." Most of the crew I already knew, from my visits to the brig during vacation time; but, Tom being a comparative stranger--albeit all of them had witnessed the "striking proof" of the honour the skipper considered our coming on board had done him--Jorrocks thought best to introduce us in a set speech, saying how we were "a good sort, and no mistake"; and that, although we were the sons of gentlemen, who had "runned away from school," we were going to shake in our lot with them "like one of theirselves." This seemed to go down as well as the stew, of which we were cordially invited to partake, that disappeared rapidly down our famished throats; and, thenceforth, we were treated with that good fellowship which seems natural to those who follow the sea--none attempting to bully us, or take advantage of our youth, and all eager to complete our nautical education to the best of their ability.

Perhaps this was principally on account of Jorrocks constituting himself our friend and patron, and keeping a keen eye on our interests in the food department, so as to see that we had a fair share of what was going; but, at any rate, thus it was, for, with the exception of the skipper, we had no reason to complain of the treatment of any one on board the brig, from the time we joined her in the surreptitious manner I have described, to the moment of our leaving her.
Towards evening, the wind shifting more to the westwards and bearing on our quarter, the yards had to be braced round a bit and the jib sheet hauled in taut to leeward, giving Tom and me an opportunity of showing our willingness to bear a hand.

Otherwise, however, until we arrived at Newcastle there was little to do in the way of trimming sails, as the wind was fair all the way, giving no occasion for reefing or furling canvas until we got into port.