ce
more greeted our messmates. Mr Falcon, the first lieutenant, went down
to Captain Savage, to say we were on board, and he requested us to come
into the cabin. He greeted us warmly, and gave us great credit for the
manner in which we had effected our escape. When we left the cabin, I
found Mr Chucks, the boatswain, waiting outside.

"My dear Mr Simple, extend your flapper to me, for I'm delighted to see
you. I long to have a long talk with you."

"And I should like it also, Mr Chucks, but I am afraid we have not
time; I dine with Captain Savage to-day, and it only wants an hour of
dinner-time."

"Well, Mr Simple, I've been looking at your frigate, and she's a
beauty--much larger than the _Diomede_."

"And she behaves quite as well," replied I. "I think we are two hundred
tons larger. You've no idea of her size until you are on her decks."

"I should like to be boatswain of her, Mr Simple: that is, with Captain
Savage, for I will not part with him." I had some more conversation
with Mr Chucks, but I was obliged to attend to others, who interrupted
us. We had a very pleasant dinner with our old captain, to whom we gave
a history of our adventures, and then we returned on board.

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.

WE GET RID OF THE PIGS AND PIANOFORTE--THE LAST BOAT ON SHORE BEFORE
SAILING--THE FIRST LIEUTENANT TOO HASTY, AND THE CONSEQUENCES TO ME.

We waited three days, at the expiration of which, we heard that Captain
To was about to exchange with Captain Savage. We could not believe such
good news to be true, and we could not ascertain the truth of the
report, as the captain had gone on shore with Mrs To, who recovered
fast after she was out of our doctor's hands; so fast, indeed, that a
week afterwards, on questioning the steward, upon his return on board,
how Mrs To was, he replied, "O charming well again, sir, she has eaten
a whole pig since she left the ship." But the report was true; Captain
To, afraid to go to the West Indies, had effected an exchange with
Captain Savage. Captain Savage was permitted, as was the custom of the
service, to bring his first lieutenant, his boatswain, and his barge's
crew with him. He joined a day or two before we sailed, and never was
there more joy on board: the only people miserable were the first
lieutenant, and those belonging to the _Sanglier_, who were obliged to
follow Captain To; who, with his wife, his pigs, and her piano, were all
got rid of in the course of