ly made everyone who heard it laugh,
although they put the mistake down to the poor fellow's provincial
pronunciation, he turns to the man who had previously instructed him and
asks in a proud sort of way, as if seeking praise for his performance,
`Say, how did I sing out that, chum?'

"`Very well,' replied the other, who, if he had advised him in good
faith in the first instance, on now seeing the result of his teaching
was anxious to take a rise out of the `stupid jolly,' as he thought him.
`But, chummy, you'll have to do different next time.'

"`Oh!' exclaimed the marine. `What shall I have to sing out, then?'

"`You called "Live boy" at Two Bells; and so it'll be "Dead boy" when it
strikes Three Bells. It's always turn and turn about aboard ship.'

"`Yes, that's fair enough and I thank you kindly,' answered the poor
marine, sucking in the other's gammon like milk, not perceiving for a
moment that the sailor was `pulling his leg'; and, the next time the
bell sounded, as sure as we both stand here, if you'll believe me, Mr
Smythe, the silly donkey shouted out, even louder than he had done
before, at the very pitch of his voice, `Dead boy.'"

"He, he, he!" cackled Mr Smythe again, while Dick Popplethorne, who had
joined me by the taffrail and was intently listening like myself to
"Joe's" yarn, burst out in a regular guffaw, which he had to choke his
fist into his mouth to suppress; for, any such violent expression of
merriment was totally at variance with the discipline of a man-of-war
and had to be checked at once for the good of the service! "But, what--
ah, happened, Mr Jellaby, to the poor fellow, eh?"

"Why, the officer of the watch sent for the sergeant of the guard with a
file of marines, and put the man under arrest for being drunk and
mutinous!"

"You don't--ah, mean to say he was punished?"

"No," replied "Joe," with a wink to us. "He certainly was brought up on
the quarter-deck before the captain, who had heard his queer shout, as
everybody did, indeed, who was on deck at the time; but, the bluejacket
who had misled him came forward at the last moment and got him released
from chokey, our captain, who was a good-tempered chap and enjoyed a
joke, letting them both off, although he read 'em a lecture and had to
bite his lip the while he spoke of the heinousness of their joint
offence, he being hardly able to speak seriously!"

"Ah, I see," said the Reverend Mr Smythe approvingly, though in a very