stimony in favor of their truth, and, to
such a reasoner as I was, a no less cogent argument for the goodness of
the cause that elicited such virtues.

As the boat came alongside, I remarked that the deck was without a
passenger. Heaps of trunks and luggage littered it the entire way; but
the severity of the weather had driven every one under cover, except the
steersman and the captain, who, both of them wrapped up in thick coats
of frieze, seemed like huge bears standing on their hindquarters.

"How are you, Darby?" shouted the skipper. "Call out that lazy rascal to
open the lock."

"I don't think he's at home, sir," said Darby, as innocently as though
he knew nothing of the reason for his absence.

"Not at home! The scoundrel, where can he be, then? Come, youngster,"
cried he, addressing me, "take the key there, and open the lock."

Until this moment, I forgot the character which my dress and appearance
assigned to me. But a look from the piper recalled me at once to
recollection; and taking up the iron key, I proceeded, under Darby's
instructions, to do what I was desired, while Darby and the captain
amused themselves by wondering what had become of Tim, and speculated on
the immediate consequences his absence would bring down on him.

"Are you going with us, Darby?" said the captain.

"Faix, I don't know, sir," said he, as if hesitating. "Ar there was any
gentleman that liked the pipes--"

"Yes, yes; come along, man," rejoined the skipper. "Is the boy with you?
Very well; come in, youngster."

We were soon under way again; and Darby, having arranged his instrument
to his satisfaction, commenced a very spirited voluntary to announce
his arrival. In an instant the cabin door opened, and a red-faced,
coarse-looking fellow, in uniform, called out,--

"Halloo, there! is that a piper?"

"Yes, sir," said Darby, without turning his face round; while, at the
same time, he put a question in Irish to the skipper, who answered it
with a single word.

"I say, piper, come down here!" cried the yeoman, for such he
was,--"come down here, and let 's have a tune!"

"I 'm coming, sir!" cried Darby, standing up; and holding out his hand
to me, he called out,--"Tom, alannah, lead me down stairs."

I looked up in his face, and to my amazement perceived that he had
turned up the white of his eyes to represent blindness, and was groping
with his hand like one deprived of sight. As any hesitation on my part
might have betra