Rightawayanaxewasfound.AndtheDoctorsoonchoppedaholeinthedoorbigenoughtoclamberthrough. Atfirsthecouldseenothingatall,itwassodarkinside.Sohestruckamatch. Theroomwasquitesmall;nowindow;theceiling,low. Forfurnituretherewasonlyonelittlestool. Allroundtheroombigbarrelsstoodagainstthewalls,fastenedatthebottomsotheywouldn'ttumblewiththerollingoftheship;andabovethebarrels,pewterjugsofallsizeshungfromwoodenpegs.Therewasastrong,wineysmell. Andinthemiddleofthefloorsatalittleboy,abouteightyearsold,cryingbitterly. "Ideclare,itisthepirates'rum–room!"saidJipinawhisper. "Yes.Veryrum!"saidGub–Gub."Thesmellmakesmegiddy." Thelittleboyseemedratherfrightenedtofindamanstandingtherebeforehimandallthoseanimalsstaringinthroughtheholeinthebrokendoor. ButassoonashesawJohnDolittle'sfacebythelightofthematch,hestoppedcryingandgotup. "Youaren'toneofthepirates,areyou?"heasked. AndwhentheDoctorthrewbackhisheadandlaughedlongandloud,thelittleboysmiledtooandcameandtookhishand. "Youlaughlikeafriend,"hesaid—"notlikeapirate.Couldyoutellmewheremyuncleis?" "IamafraidIcan't,"saidtheDoctor."Whendidyouseehimlast?" "Itwasthedaybeforeyesterday,"saidtheboy. "Iandmyunclewereoutfishinginourlittleboat,whenthepiratescameandcaughtus. Theysunkourfishing–boatandbroughtusbothontothisship. Theytoldmyunclethattheywantedhimtobeapiratelikethem—forhewascleveratsailingashipinallweathers. Buthesaidhedidn'twanttobeapirate,becausekillingpeopleandstealingwasnoworkforagoodfishermantodo. Thentheleader,BenAli,gotveryangryandgnashedhisteeth,andsaidtheywouldthrowmyuncleintotheseaifhedidn'tdoastheysaid. Theysentmedownstairs;andIheardthenoiseofafightgoingonabove. Andwhentheyletmecomeupagainnextday,myunclewasnowheretobeseen. Iaskedthepirateswherehewas;buttheywouldn'ttellme. Iamverymuchafraidtheythrewhimintotheseaanddrownedhim." Andthelittleboybegantocryagain. "Wellnow—waitaminute,"saidtheDoctor."Don'tcry. Let'sgoandhaveteainthedining–room,andwe'lltalkitover. Maybeyouruncleisquitesafeallthetime. Youdon'tKNOWthathewasdrowned,doyou?Andthat'ssomething.Perhapswecanfindhimforyou. Firstwe'llgoandhavetea—withstrawberry–jam;andthenwewillseewhatcanbedone." Alltheanimalshadbeenstandingaroundlisteningwithgreatcuriosity. Andwhentheyhadgoneintotheship'sdining–roomandwerehavingtea,Dab–DabcameupbehindtheDoctor'schairandwhispered. "Asktheporpoisesiftheboy'sunclewasdrowned—they'llknow." "Allright,"saidtheDoctor,takingasecondpieceofbread–and–jam. "Whatarethosefunny,clickingnoisesyouaremakingwithyourtongue?"askedtheboy. "Oh,Ijustsaidacoupleofwordsinduck–language,"theDoctoranswered."ThisisDab–Dab,oneofmypets." "Ididn'tevenknowthatduckshadalanguage,"saidtheboy."Arealltheseotheranimalsyourpets,too?Whatisthatstrange–lookingthingwithtwoheads?" "Sh!"theDoctorwhispered."Thatisthepushmi–pullyu.Don'tlethimseewe'retalkingabouthim—hegetssodreadfullyembarrassed....Tellme,howdidyoucometobelockedupinthatlittleroom?" "Thepiratesshutmeintherewhentheyweregoingofftostealthingsfromanothership. WhenIheardsomeonechoppingonthedoor,Ididn'tknowwhoitcouldbe.Iwasverygladtofinditwasyou. Doyouthinkyouwillbeabletofindmyuncleforme?" "Well,wearegoingtotryveryhard,"saidtheDoctor."Nowwhatwasyouruncleliketolookat?" "Hehadredhair,"theboyanswered—"veryredhair,andthepictureofananchortattooedonhisarm. Hewasastrongman,akinduncleandthebestsailorintheSouthAtlantic. Hisfishing–boatwascalledTheSaucySally—acutter–riggedsloop." "What's'cutterigsloop'?"whisperedGub–Gub,turningtoJip. "Sh!—That'sthekindofashipthemanhad,"saidJip."Keepstill,can'tyou?" "Oh,"saidthepig,"isthatall?Ithoughtitwassomethingtodrink." SotheDoctorlefttheboytoplaywiththeanimalsinthedining–room,andwentupstairstolookforpassingporpoises. Andsoonawholeschoolcamedancingandjumpingthroughthewater,ontheirwaytoBrazil. WhentheysawtheDoctorleaningontherailofhisship,theycameovertoseehowhewasgettingon. AndtheDoctoraskedthemiftheyhadseenanythingofamanwithredhairandananchortattooedonhisarm. "DoyoumeanthemasterofTheSaucySally?"askedtheporpoises. "Yes,"saidtheDoctor."That'stheman.Hashebeendrowned?" "Hisfishing–sloopwassunk,"saidtheporpoises—"forwesawitlyingonthebottomofthesea.Buttherewasnobodyinsideit,becausewewentandlooked." "Hislittlenephewisontheshipwithmehere,"saidtheDoctor. "Andheisterriblyafraidthatthepiratesthrewhisuncleintothesea. Wouldyoubesogoodastofindoutforme,forsure,whetherhehasbeendrownedornot?" "Oh,heisn'tdrowned,"saidtheporpoises. "Ifhewere,wewouldbesuretohaveheardofitfromthedeep–seaDecapods.Wehearallthesalt–waternews. Theshell–fishcallus'TheOceanGossips.' No—tellthelittleboywearesorrywedonotknowwherehisuncleis;butwearequitecertainhehasn'tbeendrownedinthesea." SotheDoctorrandownstairswiththenewsandtoldthenephew,whoclappedhishandswithhappiness. Andthepushmi–pullyutookthelittleboyonhisbackandgavehimarideroundthedining–roomtable;whilealltheotheranimalsfollowedbehind,beatingthedish–coverswithspoons,pretendingitwasaparade. 
