a snug little chop-house in
Parliament Street, and there to remain until he came to pay the score.

All this happened to the utmost of desires; and before they had time
to get thick-witted, Mordacks stood before them. His sharp eyes took in
Sailor Bob before the poor fellow looked twice at him, and the general
factor saw that he might be trusted not to think much for himself. This
was quite as Mr. Mordacks hoped; he wanted a man who could hold his
tongue, and do what he was told to do.

After a few words about their dinner, and how they got on, and so forth,
the principal came to the point by saying: "Now both of you must start
to-morrow morning; such clever fellows can not be spared to go to sleep.
You shall come and see York again, with free billet, and lashings of
money in your pockets, as soon as you have carried out your sailing
orders. To-night you may jollify; but after that you are under strict
discipline, for a month at least. What do you say to that, my men?"

Watchman Joe looked rather glum; he had hoped for a fortnight of
stumping about, with a tail of admiring boys after him, and of hailing
every public-house the cut of whose jib was inviting; however, he put
his knife into his mouth, with a bit of fat, saved for a soft adieu to
dinner, and nodded for his son to launch true wisdom into the vasty deep
of words.

Now Bob, the son of Joe, had striven to keep himself up to the paternal
mark. He cited his father as the miracle of the age, when he was a long
way off; and when he was nigh at hand, he showed his sense of duty,
nearly always, by letting him get tipsy first. Still, they were very
sober fellows in the main, and most respectable, when they had no money.

"Sir," began Bob, after jerking up his chin, as a sailor always does
when he begins to think (perhaps for hereditary counsel with the sky),
"my father and I have been hauling of it over, to do whatever is laid
down by duty, without going any way again' ourselves. And this is the
sense we be come to, that we should like to have something handsome
down, to lay by again' chances; also a dokkyment in black and white, to
bear us harmless of the law, and enter the prize-money."

"What a fine councillor a' would have made!" old Joe exclaimed, with
ecstasy. "He hath been round the world three times--excuseth of him for
only one leg left."

"My friend, how you condemn yourself! You have not been round the world
at all, and yet you have no leg at all." S