n a
row, with their eyes closed as if they were fast asleep. This was such
an unexpected sight that Dorothy first drew a long breath of
astonishment and then exclaimed, "Jiminy!" which was a word she used
only on particular occasions; and, as she said this, the Caravan opened
their eyes and stared at her like so many owls.

"Why, what are you all doing here?" she said; at which the Admiral sat
up in bed, and after taking a hurried look at her through his spy-glass,
said, "Shipwrecked!" in a solemn voice and then lay down again.

"Did the paragonorer shut up with you?" inquired Dorothy, anxiously.

"Yes, ma'am," said the Admiral.

"And squashed us," added Sir Walter.

"Like everything," put in the Highlander.

"I was afraid it would," said Dorothy, sorrowfully; "I s'pose it was
something like being at sea in a cornucopia."

"Does a cornucopia have things in it that pinch your legs?" inquired Sir
Walter, with an air of great interest.

"Oh, no," said Dorothy.

"Then it wasn't like it at all," said Sir Walter, peevishly.

"It was about as much like it," said the Admiral, "as a pump is like a
post-captain"; and he said this in such a positive way that Dorothy
didn't like to contradict him. In fact she really didn't know anything
about the matter, so she merely said, as politely as she could, "I don't
think I know what a post-captain is."

"I don't either," said the Admiral, promptly, "but I can tell you how
they behave"; and sitting up in bed, he recited these verses:

Post-captain at the Needles and commander of a crew
On the "Royal Biddy" frigate was Sir Peter Bombazoo;
His mind was full of music, and his head was full of tunes,
And he cheerfully exhibited on pleasant afternoons.

[Illustration: THE EXTRAORDINARY POST-CAPTAIN (1).]

He could whistle, on his fingers, an invigorating reel,
And could imitate a piper on the handles of the wheel;
He could play in double octaves, too, all up and down the rail,
Or rattle off a rondo on the bottom of a pail.

[Illustration: THE EXTRAORDINARY POST-CAPTAIN (2).]

Then porters with their packages, and bakers with their buns,
And countesses in carriages, and grenadiers with guns,
And admirals and commodores, arrived from near and far
To listen to the music of this entertaining tar.

When they heard the Captain humming, and beheld the dancing crew,
The commodores severely said, "Why, this will never do!"