ow you did," replied the father; "but this was sent to me
on account of my _accident_, and as I had that all to myself, I shall
have all this too."

"But, father, you ought to give me a drop, if it were only to _take the
taste out of my mouth_."

"Your own flesh and blood, Tom," replied his father, emptying his glass.

"Well, I always heard it was quite unnatural not to like your own flesh
and blood," replied Tom; "but I see now that there may be reasons for
it."

"Be content, Tom," replied his father, putting down the glass; "we're
now just square. You've had your _raw nip_, and I've had mine."

Mr Drummond now came up, and asked what had been the matter. "Nothing,
sir--only an accident. Tom and I had a bit of a _hoist_."

As this last word had a double meaning, Mr Drummond thought that a cask
had surged, when coming out of the lighter, and struck them down. He
desired old Tom to be more careful, and walked away, while we proceeded
to unload the lighter. The new clerk was a very heavy, simple young
man, plodding and attentive certainly, but he had no other merit; he was
sent into the lighter to rake the marks and numbers of the casks as they
were hoisted up, and soon became a butt to young Tom, who gave him the
wrong marks and numbers of all the casks, to his interrogations.

"What's that, boy?" cried the pudding-faced fellow, with his pencil in
one hand and his book in the other.

"Pea soup, 13," replied Tom; "ladies' bonnets, 24. Now, then, master,
chalk again, pipe-clay for sodgers, 3; red herrings, 26." All of which
were carefully noted down by Mr Grubbins who, when the lighter was
cleared, took the memoranda to Mr Drummond.

Fortunately, we had checked the number of the casks as they were
received above--their contents were flour. Mr Drummond sent for young
Tom, and asked him how he dared play such a trick. Tom replied very
boldly, "that it was meant as a good lesson to the young man, that in
future he did his own work, and did not trust to others." To this Mr
Drummond agreed, and Master Tom was dismissed without punishment.

As the men had all gone to dinner, I went down into the lighter to have
a little chat with my old shipmates. "Well, Jacob," said old Tom,
"Tom's not a bit wiser than he was before--two scrapes to-day, already."

"Well, father, if I prove my folly by getting into scrapes, I prove my
wit by getting out of them."

"Yes, that may be true, Tom; but suppose we had both come