We told him.

"She's not likely, I understand, to sail for some days, and if you can
obtain leave I shall be very happy to see you at my country house, some
few miles away from this," he said. "My name is Talboys, and as I'm
well known to Captain Macnamara I'll write a note, which you can take on
board, asking him or his first lieutenant to give you leave for a couple
or three days,--the longer the better,--and to allow any other
midshipmen who can be spared to accompany you."

"Thank you very much, sir," I answered; "but we have to return on board
to-morrow morning by daylight, and I'm afraid that Mr Saunders won't be
inclined to let us go ashore again."

"There's nothing like asking," he observed; "and I think that he'll not
refuse my request, so you had better try."

Taking us into an ante-room, he wrote the promised note, of which Tom
Pim took charge. He told us, if we could obtain leave, to meet him at
Mammy Custard's boarding-house, an establishment much frequented by
midshipmen and other junior officers of the service. We had hitherto
not slept on shore, but we knew the house well.

The ball was kept up to a late hour. As soon as it was over we repaired
to the quay, where several boats were waiting to take off those who had
to return to their ships.

Tom and I agreed that we had very little chance of getting leave, but
that we should not refuse it if we did. The sky was clear as Nora
Creina's eye; every star was reflected on the calm surface of the water
in the harbour. We were all inclined to be jolly--officers and men.
Our tongues went rattling merrily on. Now and then there came a peal of
laughter, now snatches of songs. We had got more than half-way down the
harbour when the officer in command sang out, "Mind your helm. Where
are you coming to?"

At that instant we ran slap into a shore-boat pulled by negroes, and
stove in her bows. Loud shrieks and cries arose from the black crew,
who began to scramble into our boat,--the wisest thing they could do,
considering that their own was sinking.

"Oh, we all drown! we all drown!" they cried in loud tones. "Jack shark
catch me!"

The four blacks had saved themselves, but there were two passengers in
the stern-sheets who appeared to be less in a hurry to get on board.
Presently, however, finding the boat settling down, one of them made a
spring and tumbled on board.

"Why, Tim Connor, where did you come from?" asked one of our men. At
that m