often called young
blackguards than by any other title of honour. All this is altered for
the better now. We don't abuse each other, or flog among ourselves so
much--and, the next war, I make no doubt, what we have spared to
ourselves we shall bestow upon our enemies. I mention this, that the
reader may not suppose that I am coarse in depicting the occasional
looseness of the naval manners of the times.

"To punish him for staying out all night without leave."

"That's a great fault, certainly," said the captain, slily. "Pray, Mr
Rattlin, what _induced_ you to commit it?"

"Please, sir, I wasn't induced at all. I was regularly blown out, and
now I am as regularly blown--."

"Come, sir, I'll be your friend, and not permit you to finish your
sentence. If it's a fair question, Mr Rattlin, may I presume to ask
where you slept last night?"

"With the two Misses O'Tooles," said I; for really the young ladies were
uppermost in my thoughts.

"You young reprobate! What, with both?" said the captain, grinning.

"Yes sir," for I now began to feel myself safe; "and Mr and Mrs
O'Toole, and Mr Cornelius O'Toole, who has red hair, and Mr Phelim
O'Toole, who has a black eye,--and the poultry, and the pigs, and the
boat's crew."

"And where was the boat all this time?"

"Sleeping with us, too, sir."

I then shortly detailed what had happened to me, which amused the
captain much. "And so," he continued, "after all, you have brought off
the sand. I really commend your perseverance."

A bucket of sand was handed up, and Mr Farmer contemptuously filtered
it through his fingers; then turning to me wrathfully, exclaimed, "How
dare you bring off for sand, such shelly, pebbly, gritty stuff as this,
sir?"

"If you please, sir, I had no hand in putting it where I found it, and I
only obeyed orders in bringing it off." For I really felt it to be very
unjust to be blamed for the act of nature, and especially as three lives
had been endangered to procure a few buckets of worthless earth.

The captain thought so too; for he said to Mr Farmer, very coldly, "I
think you should have ascertained the quality of the sand before you
sent for it; and I don't think that you should have sent for it at all
towards nightfall, and at the beginning of ebb tide. Youngster, you
shall dine with me to-day, and give me a history of the O'Tooles."

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX.

AN INVALIDING SUIT--THE CARDS WELL PLAYED, AND BY A TRUMP--THE ODD