66

The poor lad was cowed, and did as he was desired. "Lower away the jolly boat," cried the commodore; but checking himself, he continued Gently, men-belay there - keep all fast with the boat, Mr. Brail," -I had jumped aft to execute the order"We must humour the poor fellow, after all, who is evidently not himself." I could hear a marine of the name of Lennox, who stood by, whisper to his neighbour Ay, Sir Oliver, better fleech with a madman than fecht

with him."

"Are you Mr. Donovan, pray?" said the commodore mildly, but still speaking through the trumpet.

"I was that gentleman," was the startling answer.

"Then come on board, man; come on board," in a wheedling tone.

"How would you have me to do that thing?" said poor Donovan. "Come on board, did you say? Divil now, Sir Oliver, you are mighty unrasonable."

His superior officer was somewhat shoved off his balance by this reply from his lieutenant, and rapped out fiercely enough-"Come on board this instant, sir, or by the Lord, I

"How can I do that thing, and me dead since three bells in the middle watch last night?" This was grumbled as it were through his trumpet, but presently he shouted out as loud as he could bellow --I can't come; and, what's more, I won't; for I died last night, and am to be buried whenever it goes eight bells at noon."

"Dead!" said the commodore, now seriously angry. "Dead, did he say? Why, he is drunk, gentlemen, and not mad. There is always some method in madness; here there is none." Till recollecting himself"Poor fellow, let me try him a little farther; but really it is too absurd" as he looked around and observed the difficulty both officers and men had in keeping countenance 'Let me humour him a little longer," continued he. “Pray, Mr. Donovan, how can you be dead, and speaking to me

now ?"

“Because,” said Donovan, promptly, "I have a forenoon's leave from purgatory to see myself decently buried, Sir Oliver."

Here we could no longer contain ourselves, and, notwithstanding the melancholy and humiliating spectacle before us, a shout of laughter burst from all hands simultaneously, as the commodore, exceedingly tickled, sung out"Oh, I see how it is--I see- -so do come on board, Mr. Donovan, and we will see you properly buried."

"You see, Sir Oliver!" said the poor fellow; "to be sure you do — a blind horse might persave it."

"I say, Dennis dear," said I, "I will be answerable that all the honours shall be paid you." But the deceased Irishman was not to be had so easily, and again refused, point blank, to leave the Midge.

"Lower away the boat there, Mr. Sprawl," said Sir Oliver; "no use in all this; you see he won't come. Pipe away her crew; and, Mr. Brail, do you hear, take half-a-dozen marines with you. So, brisk now - briskbe off. Take the surgeon with you, and spill no blood if you can help it, but bring that poor fellow on board instantly, cost what it may."

I shoved off-two of the marines being stuck well forward in the bows, the remaining four being seated beside me on the stern-sheets. Instantly we were alongside. "What cheer, Donovan, my darling? How are you, man, and how do ye all do?"

"Ah, Benjamin, glad to see you, my boy. I hope you have come to read the service: I'm to be buried at noon, you know."

"Indeed!" said I, "I know nothing of the kind. I have come on board from the commodore to know how you are; he thought you had been ill.”

"Very much obliged," continued the poor fellow; "all that sort of thing might have brought joy some days ago. but now!

"Well, well, Donovan," said I, "come on board with me, and buried you shall be comfortably from the frigate."

66

Well, I will go. This cursed sailmaker of ours has twice this morning refused to lash me up in the hammock, because he chose to say I was not dead; so go with you I will."

The instant the poor fellow addressed himself to enter the boat, he shrank back. "I cannot-I cannot. Sailmaker, bring the shot aft, and do lash me up in my hammock, and heave me comfortably overboard at

once."

The poor sailmaker, who was standing close to, me caught my eye, and my ear also. "What shall I do, sir?" said he.

I knew the man to be a steady, trustworthy person.

"Why, humour him, Walden; humour him. Fetch the shot, and lash him up; but sling him round the waist by a strong three-inch rope, do you

hear."

The man touched his forehead, and slunk away. Presently he returned with the cannon balls slung in a canvass bag, the usual receptacle of his needles, palms, and thread, and deliberately fastened them round Mr. Donovan's legs. He then lashed him up in the hammock, coaxing his arms under the swathing, so that presently, while I held him in play, he had regularly sewed him up into a most substantial strait waistcoat. It would have been laughable enough, if risibility had been pardonable under such melancholy circumstances, to look at the poor fellow as he stood stiff and upright, like a bolt of canvass, on the deck, swaying about, and balancing himself, as the vessel rolled about on the heave of the sea; but by this time the sailmaker had fastened the rope round his waist, one end of which was in the clutch of three strong fellows, with plenty of the slack coiled down and at hand, had it proved necessary to pay out, and give him scope.

"Now, Donovan, dear, come into the boat; do, and let us get on board, will ye."

"Benjamin Brail, I expected kindlier things at your hands, Benjie. How can I go on board of the old Gazelle, seeing it has gone six bells, and I'm to be hove overboard at twelve o'clock?"

I saw there was nothing else for it, so I whispered little Binnacle to strike eight bells. At the first chime poor Donovan pricked up his ear; at the second he began to settle himself on deck; and, before the last struck, he was stretched out on a grating with his eyes closed, and really as still and motionless as if he had been actually dead. I jumped on board, muttered a sentence or two, from recollection, from the funeral service, and tipping the wink, we hove him bodily, stoop and roop, overboard, where he sank for a couple of fathoms, when we hauled him up again. When he sank, he was much excited, and flushed, and feverish, to look at; but when he was now got into the boat, he was still enough, God knows, and very blue and ghastly; his features were sharp and pinched, and he could only utter a low moaning noise, when we had stretched him along the bottom of the boat. "Mercy!" said I, "surely my experiment has not killed him." However, my best plan now was to get back to the frigate as soon as might be, so I gave the word to shove off, and in a minute we were all on the Gazelle's quarter-deck, poor Donovan being hoisted up, lashed into an accommodation chair. He was instantly taken care of, and, in our excellent surgeon's hands, I am glad to say that he recovered, and lived to be an ornament to the service, and a credit to all connected with him for many a long day afterwards.

The first thing that little Binnacle did was to explain to Sir Oliver that poor Donovan had been ill for three days with brain fever, having had a

stroke of the sun; but aware of the heavy responsibility of taking forcibly the command of a vessel from one's superior officer, he was allowed to have it all his own way until the Gazelle hove in sight.

"Pray, Mr. Binnacle," said the commodore, "have you brought me the letters and the English newspapers ??

"Yes, Sir Oliver; here they are, sir."

"Oh, let me see."

After a long pause, the commodore again spoke.

"Why, Mr. Binnacle, I have no tidings of the vessels you speak of; but I suppose we must stand in for the point indicated, and take our chance of falling in with them. But where got you all these men? Did the Cerberus man you?"

66

--

No, sir, she did not. Ten of the men were landed at Cape Coast, out of the Tobin, Liverpool trader. They are no great things, sir, certainly; they had been mutinous, so the merchantman who unshipped them chose to make the run home with five free negroes instead. But if they be bad, there is not much of them, for they are the smallest men I ever saw." The chap who spoke little Binnacle, viz. was not quite a giant. He was a dapper little blue-jacket, about five feet two. His boat's or rather his canoe's crew, were all very little men, but still evidently full grown, and not boys. Every thing about the craft he had come from was diminutive, except her late commander. The midshipman was small-the men were all pigmies. The vessel herself could not have carried one of the pyramids of Egypt. The very bandy-legged cur that yelped and scampered along her deck was a small cock-tailed affair, that a large Newfoundland canis might have easily swallowed.

After little Binnacle had made his report to Sir Oliver, he, with an arch smile, handed me the following letter open, which I have preserved to this hour for the satisfaction of the curious. Many a time have I since laughed and cried over this production of poor Donovan's heated brain.

"My dear Brail,- When you receive this, I shall be at rest far down amongst the tangleweed and coral branches at the bottom of the deep green sea, another sacrifice to the insatiable demon of this evil climate - another melancholy addition to the long list of braver and better men who have gone before me. Heaven knows, and I know, and lament with much bitterness therefore, that I am ill prepared to die, but I trust to the mercy of the Almighty for pardon and forgiveness.

"It is now a week since I was struck by a flash of lightning at noonday, when there was not a speck of cloud in the blue sky, that glanced like a fiery dart right down from the fierce sun, and not having my red woollen nightcap on, that I purchased three years ago from old Jabos of Belfast, the Jew who kept a stall near the quay, it pierced through the skull just in the centre of the bald spot, and set my brain a boiling and poppling ever since, making a noise for all the world like a buzzing beehive; so that I intend to depart this life at three bells in the middle watch this very night, wind and weather permitting. Alas, alas! who shall tell this to my dear old mother, Widow Donovan, who lives at No. 1050, in Sackville-street, Dublin, the widest thoroughfare in Europe? -or to poor Cathleen O'Haggarty? You know Cathleen, Benjie; but you must never know that she has a glass eye- Ah, yes, poor thing, she had but one eye, but that was a beauty, the other was a quaker; but then she had five thousand good sterling pounds, all in old Peter Macshane's bank at the back of the Exchange; and so her one eye was a blessing to me; for where is the girl with two eyes, and five thousand pounds, all lodged in Peter Macshane's bank at the back of the Exchange, who would have looked at Dennis Donovan, a friendless, pennyless lieutenant in the royal navy, and son

*

* A sham wooden gun.

of Widow Donovan, who lives at 1050, Sackville-street, Dublin, the widest thoroughfare in Europe - Ah, how Cathleen will pipe her real eye - I wonder if she will weep with the false one-I am sure my story might bring tears from a stone, far more a piece of glass- Oh, when she hears that I am gone, she will be after breaking her tender little heart Oh, murder for the notion of it- that's the thought that I can't bear · that is the blow that kills Ned! The last words of Dennis Donovan, who has nothing on earth to brag of beside a mighty pretty person, and a brave soul - that's a good one. Adieu, adieu. God bless the king and the royal family entirely. DENNIS DONOVAN, Lieutenant, R. N., and son of Widow Donovan, who lives at 1050, Sackville-street, Dublin, the widest thoroughfare in Europe."

To return.

"And pray," said the commodore, "what captures may you have made in this redoubtable man of war of yours-in his Britannic majesty's felucca, Midge?"

Why, none, sir," said wee middy, blushing; “but I hope you will soon put us in the way of having a brush, sir."

"We shall see, we shall see," said the good-hearted old sailor; "but come and take a glass of wine, Mr. Binnacle, and after you have told Mr. Brail all about the Midge, what she has, and wants, &c., get on board again, and keep near us for the evening. I say, Mr. Steelpen," to his clerk, who was lounging about, "come to the cabin, now, will you, and draw out Mr. Brail's instructions, as Mr. Garboard is still confined to his cot."

This was the second lieutenant, who had been ill for a week with fever. I heard the order given, and instantly set about getting my kit arranged for my departure, although I did think it would have been more pleasing in my excellent captain, had he appeared to have consulted me a little on the subject; but to hear was to obey, and I was quite ready to move by the time I was sent for to receive my orders, when I adjourned to the cabin. Sir Oliver had dined, and was sitting at his wine. The affair, in fact, went on very much as usual; and so soon as the steward and his boy had left us to ourselves, the knight rang the bell, the cord of which, ending in a handsome brass handle, hung within a foot of his head.

"Potter, send the first lieutenant here."

Sprawl was in immediate attendance.

"Glad to see you, Mr. Sprawl; sit down, and take wine." After a pause "Do you think, if the breeze holds, that we shall make the land. again before morning, Mr. Sprawl?"

"No sir, for we have run sixty miles off since morning, and there is no appearance of any wind at present; but we should be able, notwithstanding, to beat up to it by noon to-morrow."

Very well. Pray, Mr. Brail, how many men, counting the strangers, are there on board ?"

"Thirty-three, sir, all told."

"And the guns she carries?

"A long twelve, sir, with a six-inch howitzer affair fitted forward, for throwing grape."

"Do you think you could stow ten men more, comfortably ?”

I had been on board of my new command before I came down, and had made such passing observations as the time permitted.

"Why, I dare say, for a few days we might, sir."

"Then send your purser, or whoever may be acting for him, aboard this evening."

I made my bow, whipped off my glass, and went on deck to be off. It was getting dark fast- the wind had risen suddenly-the frigate had

been carrying top-gallant-sails up to the time I had gone below, but they were now handed, and the watch were in the act of taking a reef in the top-sails, when I came on deck.

"Whereabouts is the felucca?" said I to the officer of the watch, the old gunner, who, in the absence of Mr Garboard, the second lieutenant, who, as already stated, was sick and in his cot, had charge of the deck. "Close to, sir," was the reply; but presently he continued, looking over the side, "Deuce take me, sir, if I can see her just at this present.

"You don't?" said I. "I say, quarter-master, do you see the small craft down to leeward there?"

"No, sir. I sees nothing of her; but she can't be far away, sir, as she was close to within this last half hour."

By this time the night had fallen with a heavy dew and a thick haze. Presently we saw a small spark down to leeward.

"Ah," said the man again, “there she is, sir; she is in chase of something, sir."

"What can they mean?" said I. "They know they cannot follow out their chase when I am on board here."

The riddle was soon read. Little Binnacle had returned on board, and, as it turned out, he was determined to have some fun, in the interregnum between the unshipping of poor Donovan and my appointment.

"Why, what is that abeam of us?" said Mr. Sprawl, who had now come on deck. "Hand me up the night-glass, Jeremy.

He worked away with it for some time. At length I spoke.

"Why, Sprawl, will you have the kindness to fire a gun, and show a light at the mizen peak, as the felucca must be hereabouts?"

"True enough, Brail, she cannot be far off, but-" Here we saw another flash, and this time we heard the report of a cannon - "There," continued the lieutenant-"there she is, sure enough; but how the devil can you expect her to come up to us, seeing she is cut off by that large craft there?" and he pointed abeam of us, where, following the direction indicated, 1 soon saw a large vessel, standing on under easy sail on the same tack. "Quarter-master," exclaimed the lieutenant, "keep her away, and edge down towards that chap, will ye?"

The commodore was now on deck.

"I was on the point of reporting to you, sir, that the felucca was a good way off to leeward, apparently cut off by a strange sail, that is sculling along right between us," said Davie Douplepipe.

"Whereabouts," said the captain, "whereabouts is this strange sail? And why the deuce did the felucca not fire a gun?"

"She did, sir," answered the lieutenant; "but I could not divine what she would be at, as she did not make the night signal."

"True enough," said I - "I dare say all the signals and instructions and every thing else are locked up on board, sir. May I therefore request the favour of your standing down to her, or I don't see how we shall manage

at all."

The weather now cleared, and the fog rose, or blew past. Another flash down to leeward, in the direction of the felucca, and presently she burned a blue light, which cast a lurid wake on the rolling waters, cresting the sparkling waves with a wavering line of unearthly light. It lit up the little vessel and her white sail, and the whole horizon in her neighbourhood, with a blue ghostly glare, across which, as a bright background, we suddenly saw the tall spars, and dark sails, and opaque hull of a large polacre brig intervene, as she gradually slid along, rising and falling majestically on the midnight sea, between us and the tender.

"Ah, ha!" said the commodore. "Why, Master Brail, your retreat is cut off, and all the honour and glory will be gathered by the Midges with