o was dressing, was quite
sufficient, and the heat of the weather was so great, that all the
officers slept with their cabin doors fastened back, for ventilation; I
had, therefore, no difficulty in putting my hand on the purser's wig,
with which I escaped unperceived, and immediately turned in again to my
hammock, to consider what I should do with my prize.

Should I throw it overboard; should I stuff it down the pump-well, or
slip it into the ship's coppers, that it might re-appear when the
pea-soup was baled out or dinner; or should I put it into the manger
forward, where the pigs were?

In the meantime, while I was considering the matter, the midshipman of
the first watch came down and turned in, and all was again quiet, except
an occasional nasal melody from some heavy sleeper.

At last, quite undecided, I peeped through the clews of my hammock to
see what the sentry at the gun-room door was about, and found that he
had sat down on a chest, and was fast asleep. I knew immediately that
the man was in my power, and I did not fear him; and then it was that
the idea came into my head, that I would singe the purser's wig. I went
softly to the sentry's light, took it from the hook, and went down with
it into the cockpit, as being the best place for carrying on my
operations. The wig was very greasy, and every curl, as I held it in
the candle, flared up, and burned beautifully to within a quarter of an
inch of the caul.

It was soon done, and I replaced the sentry's light; and finding that
the gun-room door was a-jar, I went in softly, and replaced the wig
where I had taken it from, repassed the sentry, who was still fast
asleep, and regained my hammock, intending to undress myself in it; but
I had quite forgotten one thing (I was soon reminded of it)--I heard the
voice of the officer of the watch I calling out to the sentry at the
cabin door--

"Sentry, what's that smell of burning?"

"I don't know, sir," replied the sentry; "I was just thinking of going
forward for the ship's corporal."

The smell, which had gradually ascended from the cockpit, now spread
from deck to deck, and became stronger and stronger. The gun-room-door
sentry jumped up at the voice of the lieutenant, and called out that
there was a very strong smell in the cockpit. The lieutenant and mate
of the watch came down, and it was immediately supposed that the
spirit-room had caught fire, for the smell was really very powerful.

The first li