ovan fell down upon the shingle, and rolled and
bellowed: "Sure me inside's out! 'Tis poisoned I am, every mortial
bit o' me. A docthor, a docthor, and a praste, to kill me! That ever
I should live to die like this! Ochone, ochone, every bit of me; to be
brought forth upon good whiskey, and go out of the world upon docthor's
stuff!"

"Most folk does that, when they ought to turn ends t'otherwise." James
Brown of Grimsby could see how things were going, though his power to
aid was restricted by a double turn of rope around him; but a kind
hand had given him a pipe, and his manner was to take things easily.
"Commander, or captain, or whatever you be, with your king's clothes,
constructing a hole in they flints, never you fear, sir. 'Tis medical
water, and your own wife wouldn't know you to-morrow. Your complexion
will be like a hangel's."

"You d----d rogue," cried Nettlebones, striding up, with his sword
flashing in the link-lights, "if ever I had a mind to cut any man
down--"

"Well, sir, do it, then, upon a roped man, if the honor of the British
navy calleth for it. My will is made, and my widow will have action; and
the executioner of my will is a Grimsby man, with a pile of money made
in the line of salt fish, and such like."

"Brown, you are a brave man. I would scorn to harm you. Now, upon your
honor, are all your puncheons filled with that stuff, and nothing else?"

"Upon my word of honor, sir, they are. Some a little weaker, some with
more bilge-water in it, or a trifle of a dash from the midden. The main
of it, however, in the very same condition as a' bubbleth out of what
they call the spawses. Why, captain, you must 'a lived long enough to
know, partiklar if gifted with a family, that no sort of spirit as were
ever stilled will fetch so much money by the gallon, duty paid, as the
doctor's stuff doth by the phial-bottle."

"That is true enough; but no lies, Brown, particularly when upon your
honor! If you were importing doctor's stuff, why did you lead us such a
dance, and stand fire?"

"Well, your honor, you must promise not to be offended, if I tell you
of a little mistake we made. We heared a sight of talk about some pirate
craft as hoisteth his Majesty's flag upon their villainy. And when first
you come up, in the dusk of the night--"

"You are the most impudent rogue I ever saw. Show your bills of lading,
sir. You know his Majesty's revenue cruisers as well as I know your
smuggling tub."

"Ship