te as any think I can remember," said Gibbs, as he paused to catch
his breath.

"You must have kept a sharp look-out, though?" But, without heeding this
remark, the burly scoundrel went on--

"Well, Captain Brand, the boys tumbled me over the side--"

"Not forgetting the little bag of shiners!" sneered his auditor.

"Tumbled me into the boat, sir, and then pulled like mad for the
schooner. I know'd, d'ye mind, captain, or leastways I felt sartain we
could show any think afloat our heels, and so away we scrambles aboard,
and off we splits. But ye must see by this time, sir, the corvette had
come down and rounded to on the weather beam of the drogher, acting like
a screen for the schooner close under his lee. It wos only a minnit,
though, while he was holding some jaw with those lubbers aboard the
brig, before he filled away again, and wearing sharp round her bows, he
diskivered us sartain. I don't think, as matters stood by this time,
that our boat was a boat-hook's length from the schooner when I jist see
a burst of red flashes from the man-o'-war's starboard ports, and heerd
an officer roar out, 'Give him the whole three divisions of grape!' when
I'm da--your parding agin, sir; I'm blest if ever I heerd sich a rain of
cold iron in all my sea-goin' experience. Ay, sir, by G--gracious, sir,
if about two bushels of them grape didn't riddle the barge like the
nozzle to a watering-pot, and same time tore seven of our noble fellows
all to rags--"

"You saved the boat, of course?" suggested his companion, in a kind
voice, but with a frightful sneer.

"Why, captain, we unfortinately lost her; for ye see, arter tumbling me
aboard the schooner, and arter bailing nigh as much blood as water--"

"Capital! excellent! best joke I ever heard," broke in Captain Brand,
with a hollow laugh of much enjoyment.

"Arter bailin' as much blood as water, and finding the man-o'-war was
heaving in stays to slam another broadside into us, we cut the boat
adrift, and then got the sheets flat aft, the gaff-top-sails up, and
away we drove with a crackin' breeze right up to wind'ard, like a
swordfish. Lord love ye, sir! we walked away from the cruiser, a eatin'
the wind out of him like a knife, and notwithstandin' he hove more nor
forty round shot at us, he only knocked away the fore-top-mast and some
other triflin' little damage about the hull, and"--he hesitated--"Lascar
Joe's head."

"That counts off about half your crew, eh?" said Capta