es, a bad one, I daresay, my lad, when you might become a good doctor
or surgeon."

"But I don't want to be one," I replied, laughing.

"Of course not, when it is the grandest profession in the world."

"But do you think he will come round all right, sir?" I said anxiously.

"Oh yes, of course. But you are not going to let that absurd thing stop
on the end of his tail?"

"No, sir," I replied. "I'm going to try and get it off directly."

"How?"

"Lay it on a stool and stamp upon it."

"Good! that will flatten it and make the opening gape."

It did, after the exercise of a fair amount of pressure; and then, by
the help of Tom Jecks, who was wonderfully penitent now, and eager to
help with a tool he brought--to wit, a marlinespike--the star-like
points of tin were one by one forced out, and the tail withdrawn
uninjured, except that the silk ribbon at the end was a good deal
frayed.

"Ha!" ejaculated Tom. "We've made an end of it at last. My word, Mr
Herrick, sir, it's truly-thankful-Amen I am that the poor chap's all
right again."

"And so am I, Tom Jecks," I replied.

"O' course you is, sir; I never meant to cut his tail, only to frighten
him a bit; but, poor heathen, he took it all as serious as seas. Shall
I go and chuck the tin-can overboard?"

"No; leave it here for him to find when he wakes up."

"Right it is, sir. But what a fuss for a man to make about a bit o'
hair. He never howls about having his head shaved."

"No," I said; "but you see he would have given anything sooner than have
his tail touched."

"And most got drownded, sir. Well, that all come o' the lads
skylarking. If ever I'm skipper of a ship, no skylarking then. I
s'pose there'll be a reglar hooroar in the morning, and Mr Reardon
wanting to know who started the game."

"And you'll tell him, Tom?" I said.

"O' course, sir," he replied, with a solemn wink. "I'm just the man to
go and split upon my messmates."

"But you'll be punished if you don't tell. You can't get out of it,
because it's known that you were teasing him; and it wouldn't be fair
for you to be punished and for them to escape."

"No, sir, it wouldn't; but sech is life. Wrong chap generally gets the
kick as some one else ought to have ketched, but 'tarn't your fault, and
it's no use to grumble."

"But it is your fault, if you know who were the offenders and will not
tell."

"Is it? Humph! S'pose it is, sir. You're right. That's where you
gen