f his behaviour.

"It's the last dinner you'll 'ave for some time," he concluded,
spitefully; "it'll be skilly for you when you get ashore."

Mr. Bliss smiled, and, fidgeting with his tongue, asked him for the loan
of his toothpick.

"You won't be using it yourself," he urged. "Now you go below all of you
and start on the biscuits, there's good men. It's no use standing there
saying a lot o' bad words what I left off when I was four years old."

He filled his pipe with some tobacco he had thoughtfully borrowed from
the cook before dinner, and dropping into a negligent attitude on the
deck, smoked placidly with his eyes half-closed. The brig was fairly
steady and the air hot and slumberous, and with an easy assurance that
nobody would hit him while in that position, he allowed his head to fall
on his chest and dropped off into a light sleep.

It became evident to him the following afternoon that they were nearing
Bystermouth. The skipper contented himself with eyeing him with an air
of malicious satisfaction, but the crew gratified themselves by painting
the horrors of his position in strong colors. Private Bliss affected
indifference, but listened eagerly to all they had to say, with the air
of a general considering his enemy's plans.

It was a source of disappointment to the crew that they did not arrive
until after nightfall, and the tide was already too low for them to
enter the harbour. They anchored outside, and Private Bliss, despite his
position, felt glad as he smelt the land again, and saw the twinkling
lights and houses ashore. He could even hear the clatter of a belated
vehicle driving along the seafront. Lights on the summits of the heights
in the background, indicated, so Bill said, the position of the fort.

To the joy of the men he partly broke down in the forecastle that night;
and, in tropical language, severally blamed his parents, the School
Board, and the Army for not having taught him to swim. The last thing
that Bill heard, ere sleep closed his lids, was a pious resolution on
the part of Mr. Bliss to the effect that all his children should be
taught the art of natation as soon as they were born.

Bill woke up just before six; and, hearing a complaining voice, thought
at first that his military friend was still speaking. The voice got more
and more querulous with occasional excursions into the profane, and the
seaman, rubbing his eyes, turned his head, and saw old Thomas groping
about the fo