of sailing became well ascertained, and the novelty of the vessel wore away; and when her rigging, which had stretched because of its newness, had been well set up, the seamen began to give signs of having nothing to do. Some listlessly stretched themselves about the forecastle in sunny weather; others idly threw their bodies at full length in some shady nook about deck, out of the way of observation, but within call at a moment's notice. The best sailor in the world will sometimes skulk in good weather; but it is only your land-lubber, or some old jack-tar who has outlived his professional pride, that will attempt to steal away from his duty in a storm, or when danger menaces.

On a bright sunny day, when the voyage had well progressed towards its conclusion, some half-dozen loiterers, sheltered from the sun by the friendly shade of the foresail, were gathered together, in the attitude of listening to a long yarn, spun out by an old weatherbeaten sailor who had seen service in the navy of England. Bill Smith, for that was the name of the tar, had knocked about a great deal in the world, and was now on his return to his native country, after an absence of many years, "to anchor at last," as he expressed himself, " among his shore-friends and messmates, who, like himself, were past service." Bill's stories always told well among the crew; and whenever he wanted a can of grog, or a plug of negrohead, he had only to signify his wants and to promise a yarn to obtain the gratification of rum and tobacco. A slender youth, apparently one of the crew before the mast, was always principal listener; and it might have been observed, also, that he was always principal purveyor of those choice commodities of the sailor. The reader may presently surmise in what manner he obtained his supplies, and, in tailor phrase, may also give a shrewd guess as to whose stock suffered; but all in good time.

"Come, Bill!" said the stripling; " grog and tobacco ahead; come, spin us a yarn, and then-dost see here ?"

The youth held up a replenished can, and the promised pigtail. The bait was tempting enough, but Bill always preferred being paid beforehand for speechifying.

"Nay, nay," said the boy; "thou gettest it not this time before the story is told; thou hast tricked me more than once. Come! the story, and then the grog."

"It's no

"I'm damn'd if you do though,” said Bill. go, d'ye see-you don't catch old birds with sich chaff. Tip us the can, my boy; grog first, to set my recollection afloat-and yarn afterward."

Bill prevailed, as might be expected. He did not draw breath until he saw Moll Tompson's mark; and then, ramming a fresh quid of the boy's tobacco into his left cheek, he carefully deposited the rest in his sealskin pouch.

“Well,” said Bill," come to anchor hereaway out of the sun, and you shall hear some of my young adventures. When I was a hop-o'-my-thumb, about your size, d'ye see, I ran away from my good old parents-God rest their souls! they are dead now-I ran away, d'ye see, and went aboard a man-o'-war. I was sick enough of that spree for a while; but, presently, I changed all my metal buttons for horn,-soon learned to tie my Barcelona in a 'damn-your-eyes knot,'-stuffed my spare toggery into a canvass bag,-got to liking lobscous better nor any other dish, and fancied myself every inch a sailor. But the fact o' the thing is, d'ye see,-I don't much like to talk over them times; for it makes me, somehow, always feel queer about the eyes. I was a great fool-that's a fact-to run away as I did; and, would you believe it, my old parents grieved themselves to death on my account; and, d'ye see, if you likes, I'll belay there, and spin you a yarn about the battle off Gibraltar, in which I sarved."

The eyes of the youth glistened with delight in anticipation of a story of naval warfare, which Bill knew so well how to varnish up and deliver. He was glad, too, that the subject was changed; and he did not care

to hear of the regrets of Bill's youthful days-for the boy, too, was a runaway!

"You must know," said Bill, "that Admiral Boscawen was sent out with a fleet in the year '59* to lick the French, d'ye see. We had been cruising in and out of the Gut for a long while, without making prizemoney enough to slush a parsnip-when one day the man at the mast-head of the old Admiral sung out that a fleet was bearing down for us! My eyes !— but that was jist what we wanted. It proved to be a heavy French fleet, of twelve sail of the line and some frigates, that had escaped out of the harbour of Toulon. Toulon, d'ye see, is in France, on the coast of the Mediterranean. Well, d'ye see, we were all lying at Gibraltar, refitting, d'ye see; for we had had a brush with some of the Frenchmen at Toulon, trying to cut 'em out; but they wouldn't stay cut, d'ye seeand so, somehow or other, we were obliged to haul off a little to repair damages, you know. Well, the old Admiral, d'ye see, weighed anchor in a jiffy; and the old America, and the Warspight, and the Newark, and a dozen others, more or less, followed of course. Down we smashed upon the mounseers, who set all sail for the Barbary coast, thinking to lead us a dance, and then to run out of the Gut at night. But it wouldn't do, d'ye

see.

The old Admiral-as brave a heart as ever beat under a pea-jacket-the old Admiral, d'ye see, in the Namur, was the first to come up with their hindmost ship; but he took no notice of her, though she barked at him with a broadside or two as he passed: but he didn't mind that, d'ye see; and he passed on to take a grapple with the French Admiral De Clue in the old Oshong (Ocean). It mought be about eight bells, d'ye

see-"

"Forward, there!" shouted the first mate of the Grampus, in a tone which reached the ears of a dozen idlers upon the forecastle. The tale of marvel was cut

* See Hume's History of England.

short, and they started into view of the officer with a ready "Ay, ay, sir!" Bill had indoctrinated the Quaker crew with good manners, as he called it, and taught them all to say "sir" to the officers.

The mate had been looking with the spyglass, and observed a sail to windward.

"Jump aloft, one of you who has good eyes, and tell me what you make out of that craft with the suspicious rake in her masts, on our weather-bow !"

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Ay, ay, sir!" they again sung out, in full chorus; and away several scampered up the shrouds, pell-mell. Among the rest was perceived the slight figure of the lad, who ascended with remarkable agility, and left the others far behind.. The mate could scarcely credit what he saw, and gazed aloft in amazement.

"What boy is that, steward," said the mate, "that runs up the rigging so, like a squirrel ?"

The dark-complexioned functionary who was thus addressed looked out at the corner of his eye rather sheepishly at the mate; and seemed debating with himself whether he should tell the truth at once, or practise deceit upon his superior officer. At length, after scratching his head, and looking aloft in well-pretended wonder, he answered,

"Don't know, massa-can't tell, I declare, who dat leetel chap be. My conscience, how he do run up de riggin !"

"Don't know!" repeated the mate; "I'll be bound you do know who he is, and where he comes from. We had no boy on board, to my knowledge, when we left home. Who is he, sir?" demanded the mate, peremptorily.

Thus beset, the steward could see no means of escape, and answered, "De men, I believe, sir, stowed young Isaac Coffin away in de fo'castle; and I guess it be he: I don't know 'zactly, but I tink it mus' be young massa Isaac."

"I thought as much when I saw his peculiar spring

upon the rigging. Here's a pretty kettle of fish!" said the mate, decidedly puzzled how to act in the premises. He was in doubt whether to convey the information at once to the captain, whose watch was at that time below, or to let him make the discovery for himself. He adopted the latter course.

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Maintopgallant, there!" hailed the mate.

Ay, ay, sir!" replied Isaac, in as gruff a voice as he could muster for the occasion.

"What sort of craft is that to windward? and how is she standing?"

"It is a small black schooner, all legs and arms," replied Mr. Maintopgallant; " and she is bearing down upon us under a press of sail! Now she runs up a flag, which you can make out from the deck with the glass; and, by the flash and the smoke she makes, she has just fired a gun.”

Presently a dull, heavy report came booming on the breeze, and a thundering sound echoed against the side of the ship. The glass was bent upon the approaching schooner, whose hull had not yet entirely risen out of the water. Her flag was found to be French!

"Steward-call the captain!" cried the mate, in alarm: "forward, there 1-call all hands on deckstand by to put the ship about !"

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Ay, ay, sir!" echoed along the deck, and every sailor stood ready at his post for prompt action.

Seth and Jethro now appeared on deck, wondering not a little at the uncommon stir on board, and surprised to find every man ready, whenever the word should be given, to put the ship on a new direction.

"What does all this mean, mate ?" demanded the captain; "why wouldst thou change the course of the ship?"

"I did not intend to do so without your concurrence," replied the mate; "but I thought it best to have every thing ready for prompt manœuvring. We have a suspicious-looking sail on our weather-bow, and

t