hamend and lead a good life--a drop of water--oh! _lagged_ at last!"

Then the poor wretch fainted away: and Tallboys coming up with the men,
he was taken on their shoulders and walked off to the hospital, attended
by the gunner and also the boatswain, who thought he might as well have
a little medical advice before he went on board.

"Well, Easy," said Gascoigne, collecting the pistols and tying them up
in his handkerchief, "I'll be shot, but we're in a pretty scrape;
there's no hushing this up. I'll be hanged if I care, it's the best
piece of fun I ever met with." And at the remembrance of it Gascoigne
laughed till the tears ran down his cheeks. Jack's mirth was not quite
so excessive, as he was afraid that the purser's steward was severely
hurt, and expressed his fears.

"At all events, you did not hit him," replied Gascoigne; "all you have
to answer for is the boatswains's mug--I think you've stopped his jaw
for the future."

"I'm afraid that our leave will be stopped for the future," replied
Jack.

"That we may take our oaths of," replied Gascoigne.

"Then look you, Ned," said Easy; "I've lots of dollars; we may as well
be hanged for a sheep as a lamb, as the saying is; I vote that we do not
go on board."

"Sawbridge will send and fetch us," replied Ned; "but he must find us
first."

"That won't take long, for the soldiers will soon have our description
and rout us out--we shall be pinned in a couple of days."

"Confound it, and they say that the ship is to be hove down, and that we
shall be here six weeks at least, cooped up on board in a broiling sun,
and nothing to do but to watch the pilot fish playing round the rudder,
and munch bad apricots. I won't go on board; look ye, Jack," said
Gascoigne, "have you plenty of money?"

"I have twenty doubloons, besides dollars," replied Jack.

"Well, then we will pretend to be so much alarmed at the result of this
duel, that we dare not show ourselves, lest we should be hung. I will
write a note, and send it to Jolliffe, to say that we have hid ourselves
until the affair is blown over, and beg him to intercede with the
captain and first lieutenant. I will tell him all the particulars, and
refer to the gunner for the truth of it; and then I know that, although
we should be punished, they will only laugh; but I will pretend that
Easthupp is killed, and we are frightened out of our lives. That will
be it; and then let's get on board one of the speronares