ask the skipper to let you have one. It's all very well to go on
ramming and sponging and making believe to load, but it is like having
your grog served out in an empty glass. And if the old man grunts and
shakes his head and grumbles about waste of ammunition, you just ask him
if he'd mind you bringing one of your canisters of powder as you and
your uncle's got for your double guns. He might let you then, if your
old man don't mind. We could divide it into about four goes as wouldn't
make much noise, and there'd be some sense in it. There would be
something to ram down; and the lads would like it."

"But the captain wouldn't let you fire away any cannon balls, Joe."

"Well, no, sir, I suppose not, unless we got the cook up with a
pudding-bag to hold it over the muzzle and catch them again."

"Wouldn't a straw hat be better, Joe?" said Rodd dryly.

"Well, now you talk of it, sir," replied the man, grinning, "I never
thought of that. Perhaps it would if one of us held it lightly in his
hand and eased off a good deal when we fired. If you didn't do that of
course the ball might go right through."

"Well, I'll ask the captain, Joe."

"Yes, sir; do, sir. As I said afore, it would please the lads, and do
good too, for it would clean the gun's teeth, sweep away all the scales
and rust."

"Scales and rust!" cried Rodd. "Why, it isn't an iron gun; it's brass."

"Why, so it is, Master Rodd, sir. Why, only fancy me not thinking of
that! But here he comes. Try it on, sir."

"Shall I, Joe?"

"Yes, do, sir; as I said, it would please the lads. They're just like a
lot of school-boys when they gets a chance of a change."

"And Joe Cross doesn't care a bit," said Rodd.

The man gave the speaker a comical look as he replied--

"Well, sir, you see, I was a boy once, and I was born with a lot of
human natur' in me, and I never got rid of it, and I am afraid I never
shall. There, go on, sir," whispered Joe. "Pitch it into him at once."

Rodd moved towards the skipper as he came up, and as the latter looked
at him inquiringly he began--

"You heard what my uncle said, captain?"

"What about, my lad?"

"Letting me have some powder to play with."

"Ay, ay! But you don't want that?"

"Oh, I don't know. I wish you would have a canister and let the men
load the gun properly."

"Eh?"

"It would be like practice."

"Well, that's true. But it would be only waste of powder; and I'm not
going to waste an