he consequence of the indiscriminate firing of the convoy. A
boat pulled alongside, and a little swab-man, with his face all fire,
and in an awfully sinful passion, jumped on the quarter-deck, with
something rolled up in a silk handkerchief. He was so irritated that
whilst he followed the first-lieutenant about for two or three minutes,
he could not articulate.

"Out of my way, man. Mr Burn, see that all the small arms are ready,
and handed down into the boat in good order. Out of my way, man--what
the devil do you want? Muster the pinnace's crew on the starboard
gangway--move all these lubberly marines, Mr Silva, if that stupid fool
don't cease firing, send a shot right into him. Man, man, what do you
want--why don't you speak?"

"There, sir," at last stammered out the little angry master of a brig,
unfolding his handkerchief, and exhibiting a two-pound shot in a most
filthy condition, "What--what do you think of that, sir. Slap on board
of me, from the _Lady Jane_, sir--through, clean through my bulwarks
into the cook's slush-tub. There's murder and piracy for you on the
high seas--my slush-tub, sir--my bulwarks, sir."

"Damn you and your slush-tub too--out of my way! Sail trimmers aloft,
and get ready the topmast and top-gallant studding-sails."

"Am I to have no redress, sir? Is a British subject to have his
slush-tub cannonaded on the high seas, and no redress, sir? Sir, sir, I
tell you, sir, if you don't do me justice, I'll go on board and open my
fire upon that scoundrelly _Lady Jane_."

Now this was something like a gasconade, as our irritated friend
happened to have but three quakers (wooden guns) on each side, that
certainly were not equal to the merits of that apocryphal good dog, that
could bark, though not bite--however, they looked as if they could.

"You had better," said Captain Reud, "go on board the _Lady Jane_, and
if you are man enough, give the master a hiding."

"If I'm man enough!" said he, jumping with his shot into his boat, with
ireful alacrity. Shortly after, taking my glass, I looked at the _Lady
Jane_, and sure enough there was a pugilistic encounter proceeding on
her quarter-deck, with all that peculiar _gout_ that characterises
Englishmen when engaged in that amusement.

In answer to the signal of the _Falcon_, which was astern of the convoy,
and between it and the gigantic schooner, "Shall I chase?" we replied,
"No." By this time we had thrashed our convoy into someth