sailor," said the
captain, adding, to my great delight, for I was very proud of poor Jake,
who was faithful to me to the death; "and the darkey, mind you, Marline,
has studied Jackson to good effect, for he's already a smart seaman.
He's as quick aloft as anyone on board when any sudden call comes."

"He's all that," answered Mr Marline heartily; "but I was going to
observe, that, while Jake copies Jackson for his week-day model, he
tries to imitate you on Sundays."

"Me!" exclaimed Captain Miles bursting into a loud laugh. "You, you
mean, with that swell blue coat that you gave him, and which you used,
no doubt, to win all the ladies' hearts with ashore, when it was in its
prime!"

"Oh, no," retorted the mate, smiling too. "When Jake has got his Sunday
rig on, he walks up the poop-ladder to prayers with all your dignity.
Why, anyone would take him to be the skipper of the ship!"

"Talking of prayers and niggers," said Captain Miles at this point,
turning the conversation, as he thought the mate was having a sly poke
at him, "I heard one day a little time back a rather good yarn about two
darkeys, and, as it was told by a clergyman at a missionary meeting, I
don't suppose there can be any great harm in the story."

"Well, heave ahead with it," interposed Mr Marline.

"You see," began the captain, "these two niggers--we'll call them Josh
and Quashee for shortness--happened to be in a boat which got drifted
out to sea accidentally, from the tow-rope slipping or something else;
and, they didn't know their danger till suddenly they found themselves
far from land, with no oars in the boat and no means of getting to shore
again. To make matters worse, too, the sea began to get up on account
of the wind rising."

"I wish it would do so now," said Mr Marline with much emphasis.

"So do I," returned Captain Miles with equal heartiness; "but, as there
isn't any chance of that as far as I can see, I may as well go on with
my story."

"Do, sir," said the other.

"Well, then," continued the captain, "as soon as Josh and Quashee
realised their peril, of course they got into a great funk; but, after
puzzling their brains as to the best means of getting back, and shouting
themselves hoarse in calling for help, they gave up the thing as a gone
case, sitting down on the thwarts and bewailing their fate. Josh, the
younger negro, however, had the most go in him, and presently he roused
up.

"`Say, Quashee,' he asked of t