he entreaties of
Tom and the boys who stood by, cracking their sides with laughter at the
poor usher's helpless misery.

Having had my frolic, I came out, and voluntarily surrendered myself to
my enemies, from whom I received the same mercy in proportion, that a
Russian does from a Turk. Dripping wet, cold,--and covered with mud, I
was first shown to the boys as an aggregate of all that was bad in
nature; a lecture was read to them on the enormity of my offence, and
solemn denunciations of my future destiny closed the discourse. The
shivering fit produced by the cold bath was relieved by as sound a
flogging as could be inflicted, while two ushers held me; but no effort
of theirs could elicit one groan or sob from me; my teeth were clenched
in firm determination of revenge: with this passion my bosom glowed, and
my brain was on fire. The punishment, though dreadfully severe, had one
good effect--it restored my almost suspended animation; and I strongly
recommend the same remedy being applied to all young ladies and
gentlemen who, from disappointed love or other such trifling causes,
throw themselves into the water. Had the miserable usher been treated
after this prescription, he might have escaped a cold and rheumatic
fever which had nearly consigned him to a country church-yard, in all
probability to reappear at the dissecting-room of St. Bartholomew's
Hospital.

About this time Johnny Pagoda, who had been two years at sea,--came to
the school to visit his brother and schoolfellows. I pumped this fellow
to tell me all he knew: he never tried to deceive me, or to make a
convert. He had seen enough of a midshipman's life, to know that a
cockpit was not paradise; but he gave me clear and ready answers to all
my questions. I discovered that there was no schoolmaster in the ship,
and that the midshipmen were allowed a pint of wine a day. A
man-of-war, and the gallows, they say, refuse nothing; and as I had some
strong presentiments from recent occurrences, that if I did not
volunteer for the one, I should, in all probability, be pressed for the
other, I chose the lesser evil of the two; and having made up my mind to
enter the glorious profession, I shortly after communicated my intention
to my parents.

From the moment I had come to this determination, I cared not what crime
I committed, in hopes of being expelled from the school. I wrote
scurrilous letters, headed a mutiny, entered into a league with the
other