grief, Charley gave the signal, and away they went, like a file of
marines from a double broadside, right and left, tumbling about the ears
of the reefers and land lubbers in the chicken coops below? Those were
the days of glory, messmate, when old Jack Junk, who had never seen a
play before, took it all for right down arnest matter o' fact; and when
poor Mrs. Shore came to ask charity of that false-hearted friend of
hers, what was jealous of her, and fell down at the door, overcome
by grief and hunger, poor Jack couldn't stand it no longer; so after
suffering the brine to burst through the floodgates of his heart, till
he was as blind as our chaplain to sin, he jumped up all at once, and
made for the offing, blubbering as he went, 'May I be blistered, if
ever I come to see such cruel stuff as this again!' Then didn't Stephen
Collins, and Kelly, and Maxfield, the three managers, come upon deck,
and drink success to the Leander's crew, out of a bucket of grog we had
up for the purpose, and the ould mare of Portsmouth sent his compliments
to us, begging us not to break our own necks or set fire to the
playhouse? Another glass, Jem, to the crew of the Leander: don't you
remember the ducking ould Mother Macguire, the bum-boat woman, received,
for bringing paw-paw articles on board, when we came in to refit?" "May
I never want 'bacca, if I shall ever forget that old she crocodile!
Wasn't it her that brought that sea-dragon, Bet Bluff, on board, and
persuaded me to be spliced to her? shiver her timbers for it!" "Avast
there! messmate," said Tom: "when you ~190~~can't skuttle an enemy, it's
best to sail right away from her hulk before she blows up and disables
her conqueror. May I never get groggy, if I shall ever forget the
joke between you and the old Sheenie, when you threatened to throw him
overboard for selling you a dumb time-keeper. 'Blesh ma heart,' said the
Jew, while his under works shook like a cutter's foresail going about,
'how could you expect de vatch to go well, ven de ship vas all
in confushion?' an excuse that saved him from sailing ashore in a
skuttle-bucket." "Have you weathered Gosport lately?" inquired Jem:
"there used to be a little matter of joviality going forward there upon
the beach in war time, but I suppose it's all calm enough now." "All
ruined by the peace; and all that glorious collection of the kings and
queens of England, and her admirals and heroes, which used to swing to
and fro in the wind,