much food, and so the animal was pretty quiet
after it had killed all the rats. Then when the gale came on, and the
upper part of the cargo fetched way a little, for it was loosely stowed,
we suppose that it got jammed now and then with the rolling, and that
made it miaw; and then, when we took off the hatches to look at the
cargo, after we had sprung the leak, the cat, o' course, came out, and a
pretty skeleton it was, as you may suppose. Now do you understand the
whole of it?"

"Yes, that's all clear," replied Bill; "and it was no ghost, after all?
But still the cat did do mischief, for if the mate had not been
frightened by it, he wouldn't have let go the wheel, and the masts would
not have gone by the lee."

"That's true enough, and he might have done more mischief still if the
captain had not shot him, for the men would never have gone to the pumps
again; but when they found out that it was nothing but the cat himself,
then they set to, and before the next evening the vessel was clear, and
only required pumping out every two hours, for the leak wasn't great,
after all. So there's a ghost story for you, and I believe that all
others will be found, like mine, to end in moonshine. Now, suppose we
turn in, for we shall weigh at three o'clock in the morning."

We all tumbled into the standing berths in the fore-peak. I dreamed of
black tom cats all night. The next morning we weighed with a fair wind;
as before, I stood beside Bramble, who pointed out to me everything
worth notice or memory as we passed, but at last the motion affected me
so much that I could pay little attention, and I remained by his side as
pale as a sheet. We rounded the North Foreland, and long before dark
anchored in the Downs. Bramble went no further with the vessel, the
captain himself being a good pilot for the Channel. A Deal boat came
alongside, we got into it, they landed us on the shingle beach, and I
followed Bramble up to his abode.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Bramble's Method of Education proves very effective--He also points
out a Position in which you may prefer your Enemies to your
Friends!

The house of Philip Bramble was situated on the further side of a road
which ran along the shore, just above the shingle beach. It was a large
cottage on one floor, the street door entering at once into its only
sitting-room. It was furnished as such tenements usually are, with a
small dresser and shelves for crockery, and a