ousness before Bully
perceived it.

"Well, doctor?"

"Mr Prose is certainly not very fit to come on deck in his present
state," said Macallan, who then descended the side, and the boat, which
had been waiting for him, shoved off. But, this time, Jerry was caught
in his own trap.

"Mr J---, where is the dog's collar?--it must be oiled and cleaned,"
said the first-lieutenant.

"Shall I give it to the armourer, sir?" replied Jerry.

"No, bring it up to me."

Jerry went down, and returned in a few minutes. "I cannot find it, sir;
I left it in the berth when I came on deck."

"That's just like your usual carelessness, Mr J---. Now go up to the
mast-head, and stay there till I call you down."

Jerry, who did not like the turn which the joke had taken, moved up with
a very reluctant step--at the rate of about one ratline in ten seconds.

"Come, sir, what are you about?--_start up_."

"I'm no _up-start_, sir," replied Jerry to the first-lieutenant--a
sarcasm which hit so hard, that Jerry was not called down till dark; and
long after Prose had, by making interest with the captain's steward,
obtained the keys, and released his neck from its enthralment.

The party in the second boat were landed on the reef, and while the rest
were attending to the survey, Macallan was employed in examining the
crevices of the rocks, and collecting the different objects of natural
history which presented themselves. The boat was sent on board, as it
was not required until the afternoon, when the gun-room officers were to
return to dinner. The captain's gig remained on shore, and the coxswain
was employed by Macallan in receiving from him the different shells and
varieties of coral, with which the rocks were covered.

"Take particular care of this specimen," said the surgeon, as he
delivered a bunch of corallines into the hands of Marshall, the
coxswain.

"I ax your pardon, Mr Macallan,--but what's the good of picking up all
this rubbish?"

"Rubbish!" replied the surgeon, laughing--"why you don't know what it
is. What do you think those are which I just gave you?"

"Why, weeds are rubbish, and these be only pieces of seaweed."

"They happen to be _animals_."

"Hanimals!" cried the coxswain, with an incredulous smile; "well, sir, I
always took 'em to be _weggitables_. We live and larn, sure enough.
Are cabbage and _hingions hanimals_ too?"

"No," replied the surgeon, much amused, "they are not, Marshall; but
these are.