r. Besides, he was now a
big, stout, well-fed fellow, and could pull and haul as well as many
seamen; and in those days the pressgang took care that once a sailor, a
man should remain always a sailor. Big as he was, and inclined to bully
all fresh hands, Tim Fid defied him, and never ceased playing him tricks
and quizzing him.

"Gipples, my boy, they say that there are three big Frenchmen coming
down upon us, and that we are to fight them all!" cried Fid, giving his
messmate a dig in the ribs. "One down, t'other come on, I hope it will
be; but whether we drub them or not, some of us will be losing the
number of our mess."

"Oh, don't talk so, Fid!" answered Gipples, looking very yellow.
"What's the use of it? We don't see the enemy."

"No, but we very soon shall," said Fid. "Just let the mist lift, and
there they'll be as big as life one on each quarter, so that every shot
they fire will rake us pretty nigh fore and aft. Our Captain's not a
man to give in, as you well know; so we shall soon have our sticks
a-rattling down about our heads, and the round-shot whizzing by us, and
splinters flying about, and arms and legs and heads tumbling off. How
does yours feel, Gipples? It's odd a shot has never come foul of it
yet. Howsomdever, you can't expect that always to be. But never mind,
old fellow. I'll tell the old people at home how you died like a true
British sailor; and if you have any message to your old chums, just tell
me what to say."

Thus, with an ingenious talent at tormenting, Tim Fid ran on, till, from
the vivid picture he drew, poor Gipples was fairly frightened out of his
senses. Tim was just then called off by the boatswain. When he came
back, Gipples was nowhere to be seen. The crew had been sent quietly to
their quarters without the usual beat of drum. Gipples ought to have
been seated on his powder tub, but he was not. He had been seen to go
forward. Fid looked anxiously for him. He did not return.

A considerable time passed. No Gipples appeared, and Fid felt sure that
he must have slipped purposely overboard.

Still Fid was not as happy as usual. True Blue asked him what was the
matter. He told him of his fears about Gipples. Indeed, the unguarded
powder tub was strong evidence that he was right in his surmises.
Another boy was ordered to take charge of the tub, and nobody but Tim
thought much more about the hapless Gregory.

The wind had gradually been increasing, and at le