old woman, lad, in her delicate state o' health.
Had she turned in when you left the kitchen?"

"Oh yes, an hour or more."

"An' Blue Eyes,--

"`The tender bit flower that waves in the breeze,
And scatters its fragrance all over the seas.'

"Has she turned in too?"

"She was just going to when I left," replied Ruby; "but what has that to
do with the question?"

"I didn't say as it had anything to do with it, lad. Moreover, there
ain't no question between us as I knows on (puff); but what have you to
say to stoppin' here all winter?"

"Impossible," said Ruby, with a sigh.

"No so, lad; what's to hinder?--Ah! there she goes."

The pipe fell with a crash to the floor, and burst with a bright shower
of sparks, like a little bombshell.

"That's the third, Ruby, since I turned in," said the captain, getting
slowly over the side of his hammock, and alighting on the floor heavily.
"I won't git up again if it goes another time."

After knocking off the chimney-piece five or six articles which appeared
to be made of tin from the noise they made in falling, the captain
succeeded in getting hold of another pipe and the tinder-box, for in
those days flint and steel were the implements generally used in
procuring a light. With much trouble he re-lit the pipe.

"Now, Ruby, lad, hold it till I tumble in."

"But I can't see the stem, uncle."

"What a speech for a seaman to make! Don't you see the fire in the
bowl?"

"Yes, of course."

"Well, just make a grab two inches astarn of the bowl and you'll hook
the stem."

The captain was looking earnestly into the bowl while he spoke, stuffing
down the burning tobacco with the end of his little finger. Ruby,
acting in rather too prompt obedience to the instructions, made a "grab"
as directed, and caught his uncle by the nose.

A yell and an apology followed of course, in the midst of which the
fourth pipe was demolished.

"Oh! uncle, what a pity!"

"Ah! Ruby, that comes o' inconsiderate youth, which philosophers tell
us is the nat'ral consequence of unavoidable necessity, for you can't
put a young head on old shoulders, d'ye see?"

From the tone in which this was said Ruby knew that the captain was
shaking his head gravely, and from the noise of articles being kicked
about and falling, he became aware that the unconquerable man was
filling a fifth pipe.

This one was more successfully managed, and the captain once more got
into his hammock, and began to