"

"Well, Mr. Devil," says the old man, "the man you come for is down
below, sleeping, just at this moment. It's a fair pity to call him up
till it's right time. So supposin' I set you them three tasks. How
would that be? Have you any objections?"

"Why, no," said the devil, "fire away as soon as you like."

"Mr. Devil," said the old man, "you see that main-tops'l yard? Suppose
you lay out on that main-tops'l yard and take in three reefs
singlehanded."

"Ay, ay, sir," the devil said, and he ran up the rat-lines, into the
top, up the topmast rigging and along the yard.

Well, when he found the sail stiff up and down, he hailed the deck:

"Below there! On deck there! Lower away ya halliards!"

"I will not," said the old man, "nary a lower."

"Come up your sheets, then," cries the devil. "This main-topsail's
stiff up-and-down. How'm I to take in three reefs when the sail's
stiff up-and-down?"

"Why," said the old man, "_you can't do it_. Come out o' that! Down
from aloft, you hoof-footed son. That's one to me."

"Yes," says the devil, when he got on deck again, "I don't deny it,
Cap'n. That's one to you."

"Now, Mr. Devil," said the old man, going towards the rail, "suppose
you was to step into that little boat alongside there. Will you
please?"

"Ay, ay, sir," he said, and he slid down the forrard fall, got into
the stern sheets, and sat down.

"Now, Mr. Devil," said the skipper, taking a little salt spoon from
his vest pocket, "supposin' you bail all the water on that side the
boat on to this side the boat, using this spoon as your dipper."

Well!--the devil just looked at him.

"Say!" he said at length, "which of the New England States d'ye hail
from anyway?"

"Not Jersey, anyway," said the old man. "That's two up, alright; ain't
it, sonny?"

"Yes," growls the devil, as he climbs aboard. "That's two up. Two to
you and one to play. Now, what's your next contraption?"

"Mr. Devil," said the old man, looking very innocent, "you see, I've
ranged my chain ready for letting go anchor. Now Chips is forrard
there, and when I sing out, he'll let the anchor go. Supposin' you
stopper the chain with them big hands o' yourn and keep it from
running out clear. Will you, please?"

So the devil takes off his coat and rubs his hands together, and gets
away forrard by the bitts, and stands by.

"All ready, Cap'n," he says.

"All ready, Chips?" asked the old man.

"All ready, sir," replies Chips.

"Then, st