rly for it. The admiral swore
that neither of us should eat or drink in the house for three days; and
Ned's father, though ready to burst with laughter, was forced in common
decency to say that he thought the admiral perfectly right after so
gross a violation of hospitality.

I went and dined on board my ship, Ned went to a coffee-house; but on
the third morning after the shower, I popped my head into the breakfast
parlour, and said--

"Admiral, I have a good story to tell you, if you will let me come in."

"I'd see you damned first, you young scum of a fish-pond. Be off, or
I'll shy the ham at your head."

"No, but indeed, my dear admiral, it is such a nice story; it is one
just to your fancy."

"Well then, stand there and tell it, but don't come in, for if you do--"

I stood at the door and told him the story.

"Well, now," said he, "that is a good story, and I will forgive you for
it." So with a hearty laugh at my ingenuity, he promised to forgive us
both, and I ran and fetched Ned to breakfast.

This was the safest mode we could have adopted to get into favour, for
the admiral was a powerful, gigantic fellow, that could have given us
some very awkward squeezes. The peace was very honourably kept, and the
next day the ship sailed.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

They turned into a long and wide street, into which not a single
living figure appeared to break the perspective. Solitude is never so
overpowering as when it exists among the works of man. In old woods,
or on the tops of mountains, it is graceful and benignant, for it is a
home; but where thick dwellings are, it wears a ghost-like aspect.
INESILLA.

We were ordered to look-out for the American squadron that had done so
much mischief to our trade; and directed our course, for this purpose,
to the coast of Africa. We had been out about ten days, when a vessel
was seen from the mast-head. We were at that time within about one
hundred and eighty leagues of the Cape de Verd Islands. We set all sail
in chase, and soon made her out to be a large frigate, who seemed to
have no objection to the meeting, but evidently tried her rate of
sailing with us occasionally: her behaviour left us no doubt that she
was an American frigate, and we cleared for action.

The captain, I believe, had never been in a sea-fight, or if he had, he
had entirely forgotten all he had learned; for which reason, in order to
refresh his memory, he laid upon the ca