th on Monday.'

His mother had told him this, and so he refused out-and-out to go on.
'Well,' says I, 'I aint afraid, and I'd play if I had a partner.'

Mates! the cards were lying in a pack, and the words were hardly out
of my mouth, before they slipped down, and spread themselves out upon
the table! Lawrence gave a loud screech, and jumped up. 'Oh!' says he,
'it's the Old Un with us in the cabin!' and up the companion he
tumbled, and I at his heels; and rushed for'ard as hard as we could
pelt, and cuddled under the foresail--which was lying on the deck--all
trembling and shaking, and our teeth chattering.

'I told you what it would be,' says Lawrence.

'I'll never play cards again,' says I, 'on a Sunday!'

Just at that minute we heard oars, and then a hail: 'The _Lively Nan_,
ahoy!' It was Old Goss's voice, and it was so thick, we knew he wasn't
sober. So we slunk out, all trembling and clinging to each other. The
lamp was burning up the cabin skylight, but we were afraid to look
down. But if we didn't look, we could not help hearing; and sure
enough there was the rap of knuckles on the table, as if Somebody was
impatient that his partner didn't play. Well, we were more dead than
alive when the captain came alongside in a shore-boat, and tumbled up
the side, abusing the boatmen for the price he had to pay them. He had
a lantern, and noticed the state we were in at once.

'Now, then,' says he, 'you couple of young swabs, what are ye standing
grinning there for, like powder-monkeys in the aguer? What's come over
you, ye twin pair of snivelling Molly Coddles?' We looked at each
other, but we were afraid to speak. 'What is it?' he roared again, 'or
I'll make your backs as hot as a roasted pig's!' And on this, Lawrence
reg'larly blubbered out: 'The devil, sir; the devil is in the cabin
playing at double dummy "put!"'

You should have heard Old Goss's laugh at this. They might have heard
it ashore at Yarmouth. Just as it stopped, the sound of the knuckles
came up through the skylight.

'Who's below?' says the captain.

'No one,' says I.

'But Davy Jones,' says Lawrence.

'Then,' says the captain, with an oath that was enough to split the
mast, 'I'll play with him! It's not been the first time, and it mayn't
be the last. Go for'ard, you beggars' brats, and don't disturb us;'
and he went down the companion.

But we did not go for'ard. No; we stretched ourselves on the deck, and
peeped down the skylight. We coul