upon me, and in spite of
the remonstrance of the boys, I went in and loaded the dinghy nearly
down to the gunnel with the sand, for which we had been so much
perilled. After all my dangers, I got safely on board before noon, much
to the surprise of all on board, who had given us up as lost, and there
already had been a coolness between the captain and the first-lieutenant
on my account. This coolness promised a warm reception for myself; and
I got it.

So occupied had Mr Farmer been all the day before with taking in Irish
beef and pork, for the West Indian storehouses, and extra water to
supply any of the convoy that might fall short of that necessary
article, that he had totally forgotten the sand expedition, and it was
eight in the evening, just at the time that I was, in the words of the
song, "Far, far at sea," that he was reminded of it. Mr Silva, the
second-lieutenant, begged as a favour, that a boat might be lent him,
just to put him alongside the _Roebuck_, one of the two eighteen-gun
brigs that was to accompany us as whippers-in to the convoy. As the
captain was not expected on board till late, Mr Farmer had not much
hesitation in granting the request, with the usual "Take the dinghy, Mr
Silva." But just then the Atlantic had been beforehand with him. The
dinghy had not returned. She had been last seen at the sandy nook to
which she had been sent. The barge and cutter were immediately manned
and sent to look for me. They easily got to the place where I was seen
loading, and found the sand disturbed, and nothing else. They returned
with some difficulty against the head-wind, and, of course, made a most
disheartening report. When the captain returned he was dreadfully
angry.

Well, as I crept up the side sneakingly, not very well knowing whether I
were to enact the hero or the culprit, I concocted a speech that was
doomed to share the fate of "the lost inventions." I saw the captain
and Mr Farmer pacing the deck, but both decidedly with their duty faces
on. Touching my hat very submissively, I said sheepishly, "I've come on
board, sir, and--"

"You young blackguard! I've a great mind--"

"To do what, Mr Farmer?" said Captain Reud, interposing.

Now I can assure the reader, twenty-five years ago, when we had nearly
cleared the seas of every enemy, and the British pennant was really a
whip, which had flogged every opponent of the ocean, the "young
gentlemen" were sometimes flogged too, and more