t he does not swear at the men; he is not,
however, liked by them. When a lieutenant he got the name of
`Jib-and-Foresail Jack,' and it sticks to him still. When he had the
watch at night he would be always bothering them to alter sails, and it
was, they say, `Up jib,' and `Down jib,' and `Up foresail' and `Down
foresail' every minute. He carries on much in the same way at present,
and seldom comes on deck without shaking his head as he looks aloft, and
shouting out `Another pull at the lee-braces, Mr Haultaut;--we always
trimmed sails properly on board the old _Orion_, sir,' or some such
complimentary remark to our much-enduring first. The boatswain has a
dog--a favourite with the men--which goes by the no uncommon name of
Shakings. The commander detests Shakings, who he unjustly declares
worries his sheep. One evening poor Shakings fell overboard. The men
were in despair, knowing that the commander would not dream of
heaving-to to pick him up. I saw what had occurred, and was going to
intercede for the dog when I heard a voice from forward sing out, `One
of the captain's pigs overboard--there he goes astern.' The commander
ran to the taffrail. Just then there was a splash, and as I looked over
the side I saw one of his sleek pigs swimming as fast it could away from
the ship. The commander soon caught sight of his favourite. The ship
was hove-to, a boat lowered, and the boatswain, who jumped into her and
managed to pick up the dog before he reached the other animal, avowed
roundly that Shakings had jumped overboard to save the pig."

Jack and Terence laughed heartily at Murray's account of his commander,
given as it was with all the gravity imaginable.

"Well, we bear with him as best we can," he added, "and only hope that
he may ere long return to the bosom of his family, and to the congenial
pursuits which occupy his thoughts."

A light breeze springing up compelled Murray and his companions to
return to their ship. That night during the middle watch Tom and
Gerald, who were fast asleep in their hammocks, were aroused by the
boatswain's shrill pipe and gruff voice bawling, "All hands on deck--
shorten sail!" They turned out with the rest; most of the officers and
crew were on deck before they reached it. The frigate, caught in a
squall, was heeling over till her lee-scuppers were under water, while
dark, foam-crested seas came rolling up, deluging her deck fore and aft.
The fore-topgallant-mast had b