of the passengers, and the Captain, and Mate,
and Crew,
And it would be a _dreadful_ pity if _you_ were to catch it too!"

[_Pause. The Chirpy Man hides his face._

We looked at each other; our utterance choked by irrepressible
lumps,
Though we feared neither man nor devil--we all had a _horror_ of
Mumps!
And, but for this Cherub's candour, ere many mere days had sped--

[_Here the_ Pirate _is stopped by uncontrollable emotion, and
his audience, from the Captain downwards, express sympathy._

_The Reciter_ (_huskily, after wiping his eyes_). I'm very sorry--it's
foolish, I know, but I always _do_ break down just here. I--I think I
can go on now.

[Illustration: "WITH THE HONOURS OF WAR!"]

"Had sped,
Each buccaneer would have kept his bunk, with a bandage about his
head!"

[_Here a fresh diversion is effected by_ The Chirpy Man, _who
suddenly achieves unpopularity by becoming aggressively ill,
and causing a general stampede from his neighbourhood._

_The Reciter_--
"We wouldn't have boarded her, after _that_, for all the treasure
on earth,
So we sailed away--to the sweet salute of a peal of childish mirth!"

_The Chirpy Man_ (_resuming his seat, much relieved, and almost as
chirpy as ever, to his neighbours, confidentially_). I'm all right
agen now. It was takin' a glass o' stout on top of black currant
pudden _done_ it, yer know!

[_This piece of information is coldly received, which
evidently both surprises and pains him; the Pirate brings his
experiences to an end by relating how he realised his effects,
and retired from business on a modest competence, and the
"Daisy" regains the Pier._

* * * * *

"WITH THE HONOURS OF WAR."

After long fight and strenuous defence,
Tenacity tremendous, toil immense,
The garrison surrenders!
'Tis the doom
Of desperate war; and though a sombre gloom
Sits on each brow, each brow is lifted high,
No petulant pusillanimity
Makes poor this last parade of stout defenders,
Or shames this most unwilling of surrenders.
Six lingering years, and more, of hot attack,
By confident cool valour beaten back!
Six baffling years of sortie, and of sally,
Sudden alarum, stubborn stand, stout rally!
How the besiegers in their bannered host
Banded at first around this bastion'd post,
In sanguine, fie