ost for fun, was one day
the leader, and after having scampered up the rigging, laid out on the
yards, climbed in by the lifts, crossed from mast to mast by the stays,
slid down by the backstays, blacked his face in the funnel, in all which
motions he was followed by about thirty others, hallooing and laughing,
while the officers and other men were looking on and admiring their
agility, a novel idea came into Tom's head; it was then about seven
o'clock in the evening, the ship was lying becalmed, Tom again sprang up
the rigging, laid out to the main yard-arm, followed by me and the rest,
and as soon as he was at the boom iron, he sprang up, holding by the
lift, and crying out, "Follow my leader," leaped from the yard-arm into
the sea. I was second, and crying out, "Follow my leader" to the rest,
I followed him, and the others, whether they could swim or not, did the
same, it being a point of honour not to refuse.

The captain was just coming up the ladder, when he saw, as he imagined,
a man tumble overboard, which was Tom in his descent; but how much more
was he astonished at seeing twenty or thirty more tumbling off by twos
or threes, until it appeared that half the ship's company were
overboard. Some of the men who could not swim, but were too proud to
refuse to follow, were nearly drowned. As it was, the first lieutenant
was obliged to lower the cutter to pick them up, and they were all
brought on board.

"Confound that fellow," said the captain to the first lieutenant; "he is
always at the head of all mischief. Follow my leader, indeed! Send Tom
Beazeley here." We all thought that Tom was about to catch it. "Hark
ye, my lad," said the captain; "a joke's a joke, but everybody can't
swim as well as you. I can't afford to lose any of my men by your
pranks, so don't try that again--I don't _like_ it."

Every one thought that Tom got off very cheaply; but he was a favourite
with the captain, although that never appeared but indirectly; "Beg
pardon, sir," replied Tom, with great apparent humility, "but they were
all so dirty--they'd blacked themselves at the funnel, and I thought a
little washing would not do them any harm."

"Be off, sir, and recollect what I have said," replied the captain,
turning away, and showing his white teeth.

I heard the first lieutenant say to the captain, "He's worth any ten men
in the ship, sir. He keeps them all alive and merry, sets such a good
example."

CHAPTER THIRTY