course rather north of west to hit the Pass."

"Ay ay, sir," said the third mate. "For'ard, there, come aft here, and
round in on the larboard braces. Keep her up, Jack, about west
nor'west."

After the crew had complied with the orders of the officer they
retired forward, and we of the quarter-deck seated ourselves on the
booby-hatch.

"We were talking about you when you came on deck, sir," said I, after
a short silence.

"Ah! indeed," replied the mate smiling.

"Yes," said Langley, "we thought it was rather odd you hadn't been on
deck lately, to see whether we boys were not running away with the
ship in your watch. It has been deuced lonesome these dark blowy
nights along back. If you had been on deck to spin us a yarn it would
have been capital."

"Boys," said the mate, taking out his cigar-case, "I've a great mind
to spin you a yarn now."

"Oh! do, by all means," cried the third mate and the ship's cousin
together.

We lighted our cigars; the mate took a few puffs to get fairly under
way, and then began.

CHAPTER IV.

_The Mate's Yarn._

"I've told you about a great many days' works, boys, but there is one
leaf in my log-book of which you as yet know nothing. It is now about
six years since I was in this part of the world, for the first and
only time. I was then twenty-two, and was second mate, Frank, of your
father's ship, the John Cabot. Old Captain Hopkin's was master, and
our present skipper was mate. One fine July afternoon we let go our
anchor alongside of the Castle of San Severino, in Matanzas harbor. A
few days after our arrival I was in a billiard-room ashore, quietly
reading a newspaper, when one of the losing players, a Spaniard of a
most peculiarly unpleasant physiognomy, turned suddenly around with an
oath, and declared the rustling of the paper disturbed him. As several
gentlemen were reading in different parts of the room I did not
appropriate the remark to myself, though I thought he had intended it
for me. I paid no attention to him, however, until, just as I was
turning the sheet inside out, the Spaniard, irritated by another
stroke of ill luck, advanced to me, and demanded that I should either
lay the newspaper aside or quit the room. I very promptly declined to
do either, when he snatched the paper from my hands, and instantly
drew his sword. I was unarmed, with the exception of a good sized
whalebone cane, but my anger was so great that I at once sprung at the
scamp, w