"Look at that," said the one who had struck at Bob the night before; and as he spoke he pulled out his ditty-bag to show that it was empty. "I had two hundred dollars in good and lawful money in that bag when I went ashore, and where is it now? I am wholly to blame for it. If I had placed my money in the bank, where I determined I would put it when I left my vessel, I would have had it now."
"Do you know who put you here?" asked Bob.
"No, I don't. The last I remember is of lying down in a dark alley and going to sleep. The next thing I knew I found myself in my bunk. I tell you, whiskey is a bad thing for sailor-men."
"I will bet Barlow had a hand in that," said Bob. "He is always on the lookout for a scheme like that."
"Who's Barlow?" asked the man.
"He is the man who is responsible for sending me and my friend off to this vessel. He hired a man to knock us down."
"Well, I wish I had been myself and that somebody had tried to knock me down," said the sailor, doubling up his huge fist and bringing it down on the deck with a sounding whack. "I'll bet you I wouldn't be here now."
"Fo'castle, there!" shouted a voice at the head of the ladder. "You have got done eating or you couldn't pound the deck that way. Come up here and prepare to straighten up."
The men responded "Aye, aye, sir!" and although some of them had not had time to taste their breakfast, they set down their kits and hastened to obey the order. When Bob was going up the ladder the second mate laid his hand on his collar.
"See here, Jones, I will give you an easy job," said he. "Go back and gather up all the dishes that are left in the fo'castle and take them to the doctor, and help him until I call for you."