'Take him to the forecastle and give him a meal,' said the mate,
'and see and pack him off the first thing to-morrow.'
In the forecastle he had supper, a good night's rest, and
breakfast; and was sitting placidly with a pipe, fancying all was
over and the game up for good with that ship, when one of the
sailors grumbled out an oath at him, with a 'What are you doing
there?' and 'Do you call that hiding, anyway?' There was need of
no more; Alick was in another bunk before the day was older.
Shortly before the passengers arrived, the ship was cursorily
inspected. He heard the round come down the companion and look
into one pen after another, until they came within two of the one
in which he lay concealed. Into these last two they did not enter,
but merely glanced from without; and Alick had no doubt that he was
personally favoured in this escape. It was the character of the
man to attribute nothing to luck and but little to kindness;
whatever happened to him he had earned in his own right amply;
favours came to him from his singular attraction and adroitness,
and misfortunes he had always accepted with his eyes open. Half an
hour after the searchers had departed, the steerage began to fill
with legitimate passengers, and the worst of Alick's troubles was
at an end. He was soon making himself popular, smoking other
people's tobacco, and politely sharing their private stock
delicacies, and when night came he retired to his bunk beside the
others with composure.
Next day by afternoon, Lough Foyle being already far behind, and
only the rough north-western hills of Ireland within view, Alick
appeared on deck to court inquiry and decide his fate. As a matter
of fact, he was known to several on board, and even intimate with
one of the engineers; but it was plainly not the etiquette of such
occasions for the authorities to avow their information. Every one
professed surprise and anger on his appearance, and he was led
prison before the captain.
'What have you got to say for yourself?' inquired the captain.
'Not much,' said Alick; 'but when a man has been a long time out of
a job, he will do things he would not under other circumstances.'
'Are you willing to work?'
Alick swore he was burning to be useful.
'And what can you do?' asked the captain.
He replied composedly that he was a brass-fitter by trade.
'I think you will be better at engineering?' suggested the officer,
with a shrewd look.
