ast-head for
the remainder of the day; added to which, a few minutes afterwards, the
first lieutenant ordered two men to be put both legs in irons. Mr
Green trembled as he saw the men led away by the master-at-arms, and he
came to me:

"I do wish, Keene, you would tell me those signs," said he; "can't you
be persuaded to part with them? I'll give you any thing that I have
which you may like."

"Well," said I, "I should like to have that long spy-glass of yours, for
it's a very good one; and, as signal-midshipman, will be useful to me."

"I will give it you with all my heart," replied he, "if you will tell me
the signs."

"Well, then, come down below, give me the glass, and I will tell them to
you."

Mr Green and I went down to the berth, and I received the spy-glass as
a present in due form. I then led him to my chest in the steerage, and
in a low, confidential tone, told him as follows:--

"You see, Green, you must be very particular about making those signs,
for if you make a mistake, you will be worse off than if you never made
them at all, for the first lieutenant will suppose that you are trying
to persuade him that you are a mason, when you are not. Now, observe,
you must not attempt to make the first sign until he has scolded you
well; then, at any pause, you must make it; thus, you see, you must put
your thumb to the tip of your nose, and extend your hand straight out
from it, with all the fingers separated, as wide as you can. Now, do it
as I did it. Stop--wait a little, till that marine passes. Yes, that
is it. Well, that is considered the first proof of your being a mason,
but it requires a second. The first lieutenant will, I tell you
frankly, be or rather pretend to be, in a terrible rage, and will
continue to rail at you; you must, therefore, wait a little till he
pauses; and then, you observe, put up your thumb to your nose, with the
fingers of your hands spread out as before, and then add to it your
other hand, by joining your other thumb to the little finger of the hand
already up, and stretch your other hand and fingers out like the first.
Then you will see the effects of the second sign. Do you think you can
recollect all this? for, as I said before, you must make no mistake."

Green put his hands up as I told him, and after three or four essays
declared himself perfect, and I left him.

It was about three days afterwards that Mr Green upset a kid of dirty
water upon the lower deck