we were under a lion's paw; he was evidently a well-meaning man,
a fanatic deluded concerning our characters: the barque Priscilla was
bound for a German port, and should arrive there in a few days,--why not
run the voyage merrily since we were treated with kindness? Neither the
squire nor Temple's father could complain of our conduct; we were simply
victims of an error that was assisting us to a knowledge of the world,
a youth's proper ambition. 'And we're not going to be starved,' said
Temple.

I smiled, thinking I perceived the reason why I had failed in my oration
over-night; so I determined that on no future occasion would I let pride
stand in the way of provender. Breakfast had completely transformed
us We held it due to ourselves that we should demand explanations from
Joseph Double, the mate, and then, after hearing him, furnish them with
a cordial alacrity to which we might have attached unlimited credence
had he not protested against our dreaming him to have supplied hot
rum-and-water on board, we wrote our names and addresses in the
captain's log-book, and immediately asked permission to go to the
mast-head.

He laughed. Out of his cabin there was no smack of the preacher in
him. His men said he was a stout seaman, mad on the subject of grog and
girls. Why, it was on account of grog and girls that he was giving us
this dish of salt-water to purify us! Grog and girls! cried we. We vowed
upon our honour as gentlemen we had tasted grog for the first time in
our lives on board the Priscilla. How about the girls? they asked. We
informed them we knew none but girls who were ladies. Thereupon one
sailor nodded, one sent up a crow, one said the misfortune of the case
lay in all girls being such precious fine ladies; and one spoke in
dreadfully blank language, he accused us of treating the Priscilla as a
tavern for the entertainment of bad company, stating that he had helped
to row me and my associates from the shore to the ship.

'Poor Mr. Double!' says he; 'there was only one way for him to jump
you two young gentlemen out o' that snapdragon bowl you was in--or
quashmire, call it; so he 'ticed you on board wi' the bait you was
swallowing, which was making the devil serve the Lord's turn. And I'll
remember that night, for I yielded to swearing, and drank too!' The
other sailors roared with laughter.

I tipped them, not to appear offended by their suspicions. We thought
them all hypocrites, and were as much in er