action began to tell upon the spirits of the men.
Captain Boldheart called all hands aft, and said:

"My lads, I hear there are discontented ones among ye. Let any such
stand forth."

After some murmuring, in which the expressions, "Aye, aye, sir!" "Union
Jack!" "Avast," "Starboard," "Port," "Bowsprit," and similar indications
of a mutinous undercurrent, though subdued, were audible, Bill Boozey,
captain of the foretop, came out from the rest. His form was that of a
giant, but he quailed under the captain's eye.

"What are your wrongs?" said the captain.

"Why, d'ye see, Captain Boldheart," replied the towering mariner, "I've
sailed man and boy for many a year, but I never yet know'd the milk
served out for the ship's company's teas to be so sour as 'tis aboard
this craft."

[Illustration: THE RESCUE OF WILLIAM BOOZEY.]

At this moment the thrilling cry, "Man overboard!" announced to the
astonished crew that Boozey, in stepping back, as the captain (in mere
thoughtfulness) laid his hand upon the faithful pocket-pistol which he
wore in his belt, had lost his balance, and was struggling with the
foaming tide.

All was now stupefaction.

But, with Captain Boldheart, to throw off his uniform coat regardless of
the various rich orders with which it was decorated, and to plunge into
the sea after the drowning giant, was the work of a moment. Maddening
was the excitement when boats were lowered; intense the joy when the
captain was seen holding up the drowning man with his teeth; deafening
the cheering when both were restored to the main deck of the Beauty. And
from the instant of his changing his wet clothes for dry ones, Captain
Boldheart had no such devoted though humble friend as William Boozey.

Boldheart now pointed to the horizon, and called the attention of his
crew to the taper spars of a ship lying snug in harbour under the guns
of a fort.

"She shall be ours at sunrise," said he. "Serve out a double allowance
of grog, and prepare for action."

All was now preparation.

When morning dawned after a sleepless night, it was seen that the
stranger was crowding on all sail to come out of the harbour and offer
battle. As the two ships came nearer to each other, the stranger fired a
gun and hoisted Roman colours. Boldheart then perceived her to be the
Latin-Grammar-Master's bark. Such indeed she was, and had been tacking
about the world in unavailing pursuit, from the time of his first taking
to a roving lif