But when I went up the ladder the first man I met was old Peter
Pienaar.

Here was a piece of sheer monumental luck. Peter had opened
his eyes and his mouth, and had got as far as '_Allemachtig_', when I
shut him up.

'Brandt,' I said, 'Cornelis Brandt. That's my name now, and
don't you forget it. Who is the captain here? Is it still old Sloggett?'

'_Ja,_' said Peter, pulling himself together. 'He was speaking about
you yesterday.'

This was better and better. I sent Peter below to get hold of
Sloggett, and presently I had a few words with that gentleman in
his cabin with the door shut.

'You've got to enter my name in the ship's books. I came aboard
at Mossamedes. And my name's Cornelis Brandt.'

At first Sloggett was for objecting. He said it was a felony. I told
him that I dared say it was, but he had got to do it, for reasons
which I couldn't give, but which were highly creditable to all
parties. In the end he agreed, and I saw it done. I had a pull on old
Sloggett, for I had known him ever since he owned a dissolute tug-
boat at Delagoa Bay.

Then Peter and I went ashore and swaggered into Lisbon as if
we owned De Beers. We put up at the big hotel opposite the