mention any other wind in the compass but me, for if
you do, they may come to you, and if I hear of it I'll blow the masts
out of your ship, that I will."

"You don't say so?" replied Jack, surveying her fragile, trembling form.

"Yes, I will, and on a lee shore too; so that the ship shall go to
pieces on the rocks, and the Admiral and every soul on board her be
drowned."

"No, you wouldn't, would you?" said our hero, astonished.

"Not if you promise me. Then I'll come to you and pour down your
windsails, and dry your washed clothes as they hang on the rigging, and
just ripple the waves as you glide along, and hang upon the lips of my
dear love, and press him in my arms. Promise me, then, on no account
ever to recollect or mention any other wind but me."

"Well, I think I may promise that," replied Jack, "for I'm very clever
at forgetting; and then you'll come to my hammock, wo'n't you, and sleep
with me? you'll be a nice cool bedfellow these warm nights."

"I can't sleep on my watch as midshipmen do; but I'll watch you while
you sleep, and I'll fan your cheeks, and keep you cool and comfortable,
till I'm relieved."

"And when you go, when will you come again?"

"That I cannot tell--when I'm summoned; and I shall wait with
impatience, that you may be sure of."

"There's eight bells," said Jack, starting up; "I must go down and call
the officer of the middle watch; but I'll soon turn in, for my relief is
not so big as myself, and I can thrash him."

Littlebrain was as good as his word; he cut down his relief, and then
thrashed him for venturing to expostulate. The consequence was, that in
ten minutes he was in his hammock, and "S.W. and by W. 3/4 W." came
gently down the hatchway, and rested in his arms. Jack soon fell fast
asleep, and when he was wakened up the next morning by the
quarter-master, his bedfellow was no longer there. A mate inquiring how
the wind was, was answered by the quarter-master that they had a fresh
breeze from the N.N.W., by which Jack understood that his sweetheart was
no longer on duty.

Our hero had passed such a happy night with his soft and kind companion,
that he could think of nothing else; he longed for her to come again,
and, to the surprise of everybody, was now perpetually making inquiries
as to the wind which blew. He thought of her continually; and in fact
was as much in love with "S.W. and by W. 3/4 W." as he possibly could
be. She came again--once more did he enjoy her