John Wilkes sat next to his master, and beyond him the elder of the
two apprentices. A seat was left between Nellie and the other
apprentice for Cyril.

"Now our crew is complete, John," Captain Dave said. "We have been
wanting a supercargo badly."

"Ay, ay, Captain Dave, there is no doubt we have been short-handed in
that respect; but things have been more ship-shape lately."

"That is so, John. I can make a shift to keep the vessel on her
course, but when it comes to writing up the log, and keeping the
reckoning, I make but a poor hand at it. It was getting to be as bad
as that voyage of the _Jane_ in the Levant, when the supercargo had
got himself stabbed at Lemnos."

"I mind it, Captain--I mind it well. And what a trouble there was
with the owners when we got back again!"

"Yes, yes," the Captain said; "it was worse work than having a brush
with a Barbary corsair. I shall never forget that day. When I went to
the office to report, the three owners were all in.

"'Well, Captain Dave, back from your voyage?' said the littlest of
the three. 'Made a good voyage, I hope?'

"First-rate, says I, except that the supercargo got killed at Lemnos
by one of them rascally Greeks.

"'Dear, dear,' said another of them--he was a prim, sanctimonious