s.

We had nearly completed our water and stores, when I was ordered to the
dockyard with the launch for the remainder and two anchor-stocks. It was
blowing fresh, and in consequence I desired the leaves of the anchor-stock
to be triced up under the oars outside the boat, that in case of shipping
a sea we might be able, if necessary, to cut them away. The last leaf was
lowered down to the boat, when I felt a touch on my shoulder. I turned
quickly round, when my nose, which is not very short, came in rude contact
with a cocked hat, which it nearly knocked off the head of the wearer. It
was the admiral, who was in stature a King John's man, four feet nothing.
I immediately pulled off my hat and apologised. "What are you doing, sir,"
said he to me, "with these anchor-stocks?" "Tricing them up outside the
boat, sir," replied I. "Why do you not boat them?" I explained my reasons
for not doing so. After a short pause, he said, "You are perfectly right.
What ship do you belong to?" I informed him. He wished me good evening,
and I repaired on board. The morning after we sailed, and in three days we
joined the Channel fleet under Lord Gardner. For two long, lingering
months we had our patience exercised, jogging backwards and forwards like
a pig on a string. The _Prince_ was our leader, and the ship astern of us
the _Spartiate_. The former sailed like a haystack, the latter like a
witch, and the sailors declared she was built of stolen wood, as she
always sailed best at night. One squally night I was lieutenant of the
middle watch, when the _Prince_ split _her_ maintop-sail, and we were in
consequence obliged to show a light astern and shorten sail. The
_Spartiate_ shot up, and was nearly on board of us. The captain, hearing a
bustle, was soon on deck. "What are the fleet about?" asked he. "What is
the matter with that beastly _Prince_?" I informed him. "And what the
devil is the _Spartang_ doing on our weather quarter?"

"Why," replied I, "if the _Prince_ and the _Spartiate_ could divide their
sailing, we should do very well; but we are very critically placed, being
constantly obliged to shorten sail for the former, for fear of pooping
her, and in so doing we are in our turn in danger of being pooped by the
latter."

"Have you showed a light to the _Spartang_?" demanded he, for he always
called her by that unheard-of name. I answered in the affirmative. "D----n
that _Prince_," resumed he, "_she_ ought to be ordered out of the