while we have been fighting for your beef and pork?" To which
the other replied, "You'd best say nothing at all about that out here,
for if old Jarvie hears ye he'll have ye dingle-dangle at the yardarm at
eight o'clock to-morrow morning."

The severe strain of this prolonged watchfulness told on even his iron
hardihood, and it would almost appear that some of the rough practical
jokes told of this period must represent reaction from the tension under
which he necessarily was through the grave anxieties pressing upon him.
Humor he certainly had, but at this time it often showed itself in
horse-play, so fantastic as to suggest some unusual exciting cause.
Thus, for one such prank he seemed to draw his inspiration from the
Sunday celebration of Divine Service. Upon its conclusion, he framed and
published a new signal, for "all chaplains," the employment of which,
however, was postponed to an occasion suited to his lordship's fun. "A
few days after it blew great guns from west-southwest, which is directly
into the Bay of Cadiz. The inshore squadron lay six miles from the
flag-ship, directly to leeward, and up went the signal for all
chaplains. It was a hard pull for the rowers, and no luxury for the
sitters. When they reached the quarter-deck of the _Ville de Paris_,
literally drenched with salt-water, the admiral presented them to
'Bishop Morgan,' as he called the chaplain of the flag-ship, and desired
that they would go down into the ward-room and hold a conclave." One who
has had a pull of that kind, as most officers have in their day, can
understand that the humor was less appreciable to the victims than to
the author.

"He sometimes amused himself by paying a visit to the quarter-deck at
what most people would deem very unseasonable hours. Coming up one
morning at half-past two, in the middle watch, he sent for Colonel
Flight, the commanding officer of marines. Up came the colonel, armed at
all points, supposing that some enterprise was in hand. 'I have sent for
you,' said the Chief, in the quiet and gentlemanly style which he could
always command, 'I have sent for you, Colonel, that you might smell, for
the first time in your life, the delicious odors brought off by the land
wind from the shores of Andalusia. Take a good sniff, and then you may
go and turn in again.'"

"A lieutenant one day came on board to answer a signal. Lord St. Vincent
thought there was about him too much _embonpoint_ for an officer of that
r