much to you," said I, "seeing I have
wherewithal in my locker to pay my shot; and as to the second, of that
hereafter; so, old boy, let's have some grog, and then say if you can
ship me with one of them colliers that are lying alongside the quay?"

"My eye, what a lot of brass that small chap has!" grumbled mine host.
"Why, my lad, we shall see to-morrow morning; but you gammons so about
the rhino, that we must prove you a bit; so, Kate, my dear,"--to the
pretty girl who had let me in--"score a pint of rum against----Why,
what is your name?"

"What's that to you?" rejoined I, "let's have the drink, and don't
doubt but the shiners shall be forthcoming."

"Hurrah!" shouted the party, most of them now very tipsy. So the rum
was produced forthwith, and as I lighted a pipe and filled a glass of
swizzle, I struck in, "Messmates, I hope you have all shipped?"

"No, we han't," said some of them.

"Nor shall we be in any hurry, boy," said others.

"Do as you please, but I shall, as soon as I can, I know; and I
recommend all of you making yourselves scarce to-night, and keeping a
bright look-out."

"Why, boy, why?"

"Simply because I have just escaped a press-gang, by bracing sharp up
at the corner of the street, and shoving into this dark alley here."

This called forth another volley of oaths and unsavoury exclamations,
and all was bustle and confusion, and packing up of bundles, and
settling of reckonings.

"Where," said one of the seamen,--"where do you go to, my lad?"

"Why, if I can't get shipped to-night, I shall trundle down to Cove
immediately, so as to cross at Passage before daylight, and take my
chance of shipping with some of the outward-bound that are to sail, if
the wind holds, the day after to-morrow. There is to be no pressing
when the blue Peter flies at the fore--and that was hoisted this
afternoon, I know, and the foretopsail will be loose to-morrow.

"D--n my wig, but the small chap is right," roared one.

"I've a bloody great mind to go down with him," stuttered another,
after several unavailing attempts to weigh from the bench, where he had
brought himself to anchor.

"Hurrah!" yelled a third, as he hugged me, and nearly suffocated me
with his maudlin caresses, "I trundles wid you too, my darling, by the
piper!"

"Have with you, boy--have with you," shouted half-a-dozen other voices,
while each stuck his oaken twig through the handkerchief that held his
bundle, and shouldered it, clapp