, his share of the pie rapidly
disappearing, as he ladled up the cherries with his spoon.

"Take a glass of cider now, Mr Riddle," said Harry, handing him a large
tumbler, which the old sailor tossed off, and had no objection to two or
three more.

Meantime the tide had been rising, and no sooner was dinner over, than
we had to pack up and beat a rapid retreat. We soon washed the plates
and dishes in the water as it rose, and Ned packed them up. The
expectations of those of our party who hoped to pick up shells, and
collect sea curiosities were thus disappointed.

"Never mind, lads," said old Roger; "Master Dick here tells me that you
would like to hear a yarn or two; the grass here, as much as there is of
it, is dry enough," and Mr Riddle seated himself on the bank, while we
all gathered round him. Mr Reynell placed himself at a little
distance, although within earshot, when he took out his sketchbook to
make a drawing of the scene.

"None of you young gentlemen have ever been to sea, I suppose?"
continued the old sailor. "I dare say you fancy it all sunshine and
smooth sailing, and think you'd like to go and be sailors, and walk the
deck in snowy-white trousers and kid gloves. I have known some who have
taken that notion into their heads, and have been not a little
disappointed when they got afloat, to find that they had to dip their
fists into the tar-bucket, to black down the rigging, and swab up the
decks, though some of them made not bad sailors after all. If any of
you young gentlemen think of leading a seafaring life, you must be
prepared for ups and downs of all sorts, heavy gales, and rough seas,
shipwrecks and disasters. You'll be asking how I came to go to sea,
perhaps you may think I ran off, as some silly lads have done, but I
didn't do that. If I had run, it would have been ashore, seeing as how
I was born at sea. It happened in this wise:--My father, Bob Riddle,
was bo'sun's mate of the old `Goliath,' of eighty guns, and as in those
days two or three women were allowed on board line-of-battle ships to
attend to the sick, and to wash and mend clothes, provided the captains
did not object; so my mother, Nancy Riddle, who loved her husband in a
way which made her ready to go through fire and water for his sake, got
leave to accompany him to sea. She made herself wonderfully useful on
board, and won the hearts of all the men and officers too, who held her
in great respect, while the midshipmen