his legs, blow up the schooner, and are duly
rewarded for your gallantry."

"Avast, Terence, with your nonsense!" exclaimed Murray, who had before
been vainly endeavouring to stop the imaginative Irishman. "You make me
miserable in suggesting the bare possibility of such an occurrence. The
brig may be attacked, but I might not arrive in time to save my
friends."

"Now, Alick dear, you remind me mightily of Tim Doolan, the cowboy at
Ballymacree," said Terence. "I found Tim, one bright morning, looking
as unhappy as his twinkling eyes and cocked-up nose would let him.
`Tim, my beauty--what's the matter?' I asked.

"`It's a throubled drame, Mr Terence, that I have had,' answered Tim,
twisting his nose and mouth about in a curious manner, and giving a
peculiar wink with his right eye.

"`What is it, man?' I asked. `Out with your dream.'

"`Well, your honour, it was just this. I dreamt that I went to pay a
visit to his holiness the Pope, and a civil old gentleman he was, for he
axed me if I'd take some whisky and water, and on course I said yes.
"Hot or cold, Tim?" asked the Pope. "Hot, your reverence," says I, and
bad luck to me, for by dad, while the Pope went down to the kitchen to
get the kettle I awoke; and now, if I'd said cold, I'd have had time to
toss off a noggin-full at laste, and it's that throubles me.'

"Now it strikes me, Alick, that your waking imagination is as vivid as
Tim's; but don't let it run away with you in this instance. You'll see
the _Sarah Jane_ come safe into harbour before you leave it, and have
time to wish the young lady the top of the morning, at all events."

"You are incorrigible, Paddy," answered Murray, laughing in spite of
himself. "As I have stood all your bantering, I have the right to
insist on your coming with me to inspect the _Supplejack_ before you go
up to Kingston."

His two friends of course agreed to the proposal, and their carpet-bags
being put into Murray's boat they pulled for the Dockyard at Port Royal.
The _Supplejack_ had her lower yards across, and most of her stores on
board. In three or four days she might, by an efficient crew, be got
ready for sea. Though Murray would gladly have had a longer delay, duty
with him was paramount to every other consideration, and he resolved to
use every exertion to expedite her outfit. She was not much of a
beauty, they were of opinion; but she looked like a good sea-boat, and
Jack thought that she would prove a