this was not the end of their bird-catching on that memorable
occasion. It was, indeed, the grand incident of the night--the
culminating point, as it were, of the battle--but there was a good deal
of light skirmishing afterwards. Billy's spirit, having been fairly
roused, was not easily allayed. After having had a piece of plaister
stuck on the point of his nose, which soon swelled up to twice its
ordinary dimensions, and became bulbous in appearance, he would fain
have returned to the lantern to prosecute the war with renewed energy.
This, however, Mr Welton senior would by no means permit, so the
youngster was obliged to content himself with skirmishing on deck, in
which he was also successful.

One starling he found asleep in the fold of a tarpaulin. Another he
discovered in a snug corner under the lee of one of the men's coats, and
both were captured easily. Then Dick Moy showed him a plan whereby he
caught half a dozen birds in as many minutes. He placed a small
hand-lantern on the deck, and spread a white handkerchief in front of
it. The birds immediately swarmed round this so vigorously, that they
even overturned the lantern once or twice. Finally, settling down on
the handkerchief, they went to sleep. It was evident that the poor
things had not been flying about for mere pleasure. They had been
undoubtedly fascinated by the ship's glaring light, and had kept flying
round it until nearly exhausted, insomuch that they fell asleep almost
immediately after settling down on the handkerchief, and were easily
laid hold of.

During the intervals of this warfare Mr George Welton related to Billy
Towler and Stanley Hall numerous anecdotes of his experience in
bird-catching on board the floating lights. Mr Welton had been long in
the service, and had passed through all the grades; having commenced as
a seaman, and risen to be a lamplighter and a mate--the position he then
occupied. His office might, perhaps, be more correctly described as
second master, because the two were _never_ on board at the same time,
each relieving the other month about, and thus each being in a precisely
similar position as to command, though not so in regard to pay.

"There was one occasion," said the mate, "when I had a tough set-to with
a bird, something like what you have had to-night, youngster. I was
stationed at the time in the Newarp light-vessel, off the Norfolk coast.
It happened not long after the light had gone up. I ob