n return he bit my
leg, and tried to pull me down. To be even with him, I jumped on his
shoulders, and down we slipped together, till we reached the topmast
cross-trees. There I got a rope, and, lashing him to the heel of the
topgallant-mast, sang out to the hands in the top that they might see
what I had done. You may be sure that they were very much astonished.

"I was a great favourite among the crew, and ran no slight chance of
being spoilt. I could dance a hornpipe with any man on board; and as
for singing a rollicking sea-song, there were few who could match me. I
soon learned to hand reef, steer, and heave the lead, as well as any man
on board. My mother was proud of me, and so was my father; and they had
reason to be, and that's the truth.

"At last it struck them that they ought to give me some education, to
fit me to become an officer and a gentleman. I, however, was not fond
of books, but I learned to read chiefly from the signboards over the
shop fronts along the quays at the different ports to which we traded.
Not that I required much instruction, for I picked up knowledge faster
than most people could serve it out to me.

"I was one morning sent on shore to school, but the master thinking fit
to cane me, I tucked him up under my arm, and walked off with him on
board the ship, where I stowed him under hatches, and kept him there
till he promised to treat me in future with more respect. After this
little occurrence we were very good friends; but when the ship went to
sea, he begged that I might on no account be left behind. That was but
natural, for I hadn't got into shore ways exactly."

The cry, from the deck, of "All hands make sail!" interrupted Mr
Johnson's veracious narrative.

"A chase in sight," he exclaimed; "and a prize she'll prove, though we
have to fight for her!"

CHAPTER FIVE.

Every officer, man, and boy, not otherwise especially engaged, had their
eyes directed ahead, watching the chase, as her sails gradually rose
above the horizon. What she was had not yet been ascertained. She
might be a man-of-war, or perhaps, only a merchantman. If the first, we
hoped she would fight; if the latter, that she might carry a rich
freight. After a time, I saw Mr Johnson rubbing his eyes, and,
suddenly bringing his hand down on his thigh with a loud smack, he
exclaimed--"She's only a Yankee merchantman, after all." The stranger
was evidently making no attempt at escape; indeed, befo