down in one
of the wings, reading by the light of a purser's dip--_vulgo_, a
farthing candle; when these two boys come sliding down the main hatchway
by one of the cables. Whether they saw me, and thought I would not
`peach', or whether they supposed I was asleep, I cannot tell; but they
took their seats on the cables, in the heart of the tier, and for some
time appeared to be in earnest conversation. They had some articles
folded up in a dirty check shirt and pocket handkerchief; they looked up
at the battens, to which the hammocks are suspended, and producing a
long rope-yarn, tried to pass it over one of them; but unable to reach,
one boy climbed on the back of the other, and effected two purposes, by
reeving one end of the line, and bringing it down to the cables again.
They next unrolled the shirt, and, to my surprise, took out the
boatswain's kitten, about three months old; its fore paws were tied
behind its back, its hind feet were tied together, and a fishing-lead
attached to them; a piece of white rag was tied over its head as a cap.

It was now pretty evident what the fate of poor puss was likely to be,
and why the lead was made fast to her feet. The rope-yarn was tied
round her neck; they each shook one of her paws, and pretended to cry.
One of the urchins held in his hand a fife into which he poured as much
flour as it would hold out of the handkerchief; the other held the end
of the rope-yarn: every ceremony was gone through that they could think
of.

"Are you ready?" said the executioner, or he that held the line.

"All ready," replied the boy with the fife.

"Fire the gun!" said the hangman.

The boy applied one end of the fife to his mouth, blew out all the
flour, and in this humble imitation of the smoke of a gun, poor puss was
run up to the batten, where she hung till she was dead. I am ashamed to
say I did not attempt to save the kitten's life, although I caused her
foul murder to be revenged by the _cat_. After the body had hung a
certain time, they took it down, and buried it in the shot-locker; this
was an indictable offence, as the smell would have proved, so I lodged
the information; the body was found, and, as the facts were clear, the
law took its course, to the great amusement of the bystanders, who saw
the brats tied upon a gun and well flogged.

The boatswain ate the kitten, first, he said, because he had "_larned_"
to eat cats in Spain; secondly, because she had _not_ died a natu