little short-sighted, I dare say), Nep could bear it no longer. He gave
a great loud bark, and flew along the road after the wretched, flying
cat. Silly dog! while he was gone after puss, and just as he had his
fore-paws quite over her back, up comes a sly thief to the hut door,
quietly unhooks the bird, and runs off the other way, with its head
hanging over his shoulder. "And, so, you see, Sissy," said Uncle Hugh
in his funnily grave way, "poor Jack and I came back to find our dinner
all gone!" But they got scent of the thief, and they caught him and shut
him up in their little hut, and locked him in, and left him with nothing
but bread and water. "For there was no policeman there, Sissy; we had to
play policemen ourselves."

[Illustration: THE DREAM THAT HAUNTED THE THIEF.]

And there they left him all night. And the poor thief thought about his
little hungry children at home, till he fell asleep and dreamt (I wonder
how Uncle Hugh knew that?) that he saw the goose all smoking hot, gravy
and all, and a knife and fork all ready to cut it up.

But they didn't mean to be cruel--I don't believe Uncle Hugh could be!
So they had a nice, hot supper themselves on board the big ship, and
plenty of fun, and lots of merry songs. And then they cut three big
slices and put them aside.

And don't you think the thief-man must have been surprised when he saw
the nice breakfast that Jack brought him next morning? I think Uncle
Hugh said that he wrapped it all up and took it home to his children.
How queer he must have felt as he slunk off, the sailors standing round
and giving him three cheers and plenty of jokes!