s?"

"Bless your handsome face, ma'am!" replied Dick, "don't you really
know?"

"No, indeed," replied she.

"Well, then, ma'am, perhaps you may have heard of the glorious battle of
the Nile, in which Nelson gave the French such a drubbing?"

"Oh, yes," cried all the ladies and gentlemen, who had now crowded about
him.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, I had the good fortune to be in that great
victory, and all we _Nilers_, as we are called, are permitted to wear a
yellow coat as a mark of distinction, while the common pensioners wear
nothing but blue."

"Dear me!" said the lady, "and do I really speak to one of those brave
fellows who fought at the battle of the Nile?" and she put her hand into
her pocket and pulled out five shillings. "There," said she, "I hope
you'll not be affronted, but accept this from me."

"Not at all, ma'am," replied Dick, pocketing the money.

Then the whole party made a subscription for him, and Dick went off with
a handful of silver.

There was, however, another man who contributed much to the fun created
by Dick Harness. He was an American black, who had served as cook in the
"Majestic," and had been wounded in the battle of the Nile, He had
received a bullet in the knee, which had occasioned a stiff joint; and,
as his leg was bent, he wore a short wooden stump. He also could play
his fiddle and sing his songs, but in neither case so well as Dick
Harness, although he thought otherwise himself. We used to call him
Opposition Bill, but his name was Bill White; at least that was the
purser's name that he went by when on board of a man-of-war. His
pleasure was to follow Dick Harness everywhere; and if Dick sung he
would sing, if Dick played he would play also--not at the same time, but
if Dick stopped Bill would strike up. Dick used to call him his black
shadow; and sometimes he would execute a flourish on his fiddle which
would be quite a puzzler to Opposition Bill, who would attempt something
of the kind, which invariably set every one laughing. At last Dick
Harness's performances were not considered to be complete if Opposition
Bill was not in his company; and, as they were both very good-tempered,
funny fellows, they were a great amusement, especially in the fine
weather, when they would sit on the benches upon the terrace about six
or eight yards apart, for they seldom came nearer, and play and sing
alternately. The songs sung by Dick Harness were chiefly old sea songs;
those of Opp