the deck, for the ship was rolling
so heavily that it was impossible for a landsman to keep his feet
without holding on.

The next morning, although a heavy swell was still rolling, the ship
assumed her normal aspect. The sailors had removed all trace of disorder
above, clothes were hung out to dry, and, as the ship was still far too
unsteady to allow of walking exercise, the soldiers sat in groups on
the deck, laughing and chatting and enjoying the warm sun whose rays
streamed down upon them. Seeing Sergeant Edwards standing alone looking
over the bulwark, Jack made his way up to him.

"It has been a sharp blow," the sergeant said, "and I am glad it's over;
the last four days have been enough to sicken one of the sea for life. I
suppose you think this is a good opportunity for my yarn."

"That is just what I was thinking, sergeant."

"Very well, then, my lad, here goes. I was born at Poole. My people were
all in the seafaring line, and it was only natural that, as soon as I
got old enough to stand kicking, I was put on board a coaster plying
between Poole and London. It was pretty rough, but the skipper wasn't a
bad kind of fellow when he was sober. I stuck to that for three years,
and then the old craft was wrecked on Shoreham beach. Fortunately she
was driven up so far that we were able to drop over the bowsprit pretty
well beyond the reach of the waves, but there was no getting the Eliza
off. It was no great loss, for she would have had to be broken up
as firewood in another year or two. About six hours out of every
twenty-four I was taking my turn at spells at the pump.

"Now the Eliza was cast away, I had to look out for another ship. I
had had enough of coasters, so instead of going home I tramped it up to
London. Having got a berth on board a foreign bound vessel I made two
voyages out to Brazil and back. A fine country is the Brazils, but the
Portuguese ain't the fellows to make much out of it. Little undersized
chaps, they are all chatter and jabber, and when they used to come
alongside to unload, it were jest for all the world like so many
boatfuls of monkeys.

"Well, I starts for my third voyage, being by this time about sixteen
or seventeen. We got out to Rio right enough; but we couldn't get a full
cargo back, and the captain determined to cruise among the West Indy
Islands and fill up his ship. We were pretty nigh full when one morning
the lookout hailed that there were two vessels just coming out o