schief than extracting
two of his best upper double teeth and forcing through the hole of the
further cheek the boatswain's own quid of tobacco. As for Mr.
Easthupp's ball, as he was very unsettled, and shut his eyes before he
fired, it had gone the Lord knows where.

The purser's steward lay on the ground and screamed; the boatswain spit
out his double teeth and two or three mouthfuls of blood, and then
threw down his pistol in a rage.

"A pretty business, by God!" sputtered he. "He's put my pipe out. How
the devil am I to pipe to dinner when I'm ordered, all my wind 'scaping
through the cheeks?"

In the meantime, the others had gone to the assistance of the purser's
steward, who continued his vociferations. They examined him, and
considered a wound in that part not to be dangerous.

"Hold your confounded bawling," cried the gunner, "or you'll have the
guard down here. You're not hurt."

"Hain't hi!" roared the steward. "Oh, let me die! Let me die! Don't
move me!"

"Nonsense!" cried the gunner, "you must get up and walk down to the
boat; if you don't, we'll leave you. Hold your tongue, confound you!
You won't? Then I'll give you something to halloo for."

Whereupon Mr. Tallboys commenced cuffing the poor wretch right and
left, who received so many swingeing boxes of the ear that he was soon
reduced to merely pitiful plaints of "Oh, dear! such inhumanity! I
purtest! Oh, dear! must I get up? I can't, indeed."

"I do not think he can move, Mr. Tallboys," said Gascoigne. "I should
think the best plan would be to call up two of the men from the
cooperage and let them take him at once to the hospital."

The gunner went down to the cooperage to call the men. Mr. Biggs, who
had bound up his face as if he had a toothache, for the bleeding had
been very slight, came up to the purser's steward, exclaiming:

"What the hell are you making such a howling about? Look at me, with
two shot-holes through my figurehead, while you have only got one in
your stern. I wish I could change with you, by heavens! for I could
use my whistle then. Now, if I attempt to pipe, there will be such a
wasteful expenditure of his Majesty's store of wind that I never shall
get out a note. A wicked shot of yours, Mr. Easy."

"I really am very sorry," replied Jack, with a polite bow, "and I beg
to offer my best apology."

--"Midshipman Easy."

THREE THIMBLES AND A PEA

By GEORGE BORROW

A man emerged from the te