hey ran, it ran, when they doubled back, it
doubled back; and when they got home, dead tired, it was only to find
Tricky laughing at them from the church roof.

That night the worst happened. When the people assembled for the weekly
meeting, there was not found in that church one whole hymn-book. Some
one, apparently, had been pelting the pulpit with them. The cushions
were torn; the blinds were a wreck; two stops in the harmonium were
pulled out bodily. After the service the missionary was solemnly waited
on by a deputation. They were closeted for an hour and a half, but no
one, except themselves, ever knew what was said or done. The only
circumstances that one could in any way connect with this mysterious
council was that about midnight a small boat was seen stealthily putting
out to sea. It contained two figures--one, who rowed, was the senior
elder; the other, who sat in the stern, looked like a very small boy.

CHAPTER II

The day was not yet broken when the 'watch' of the ship _Vulcan_, lying
becalmed off the ---- coast, was roused by a peculiar noise aft. Going
to the spot he was surprised to find a much-bedraggled monkey rubbing
itself on a pile of sail-cloth. The creature had evidently swum or
drifted a long distance, and was now endeavouring to restore
circulation. Jerry, being a humane man, got it some biscuit, and a
saucer of grog, and waited developments. These were not slow to show
themselves; within twenty-four hours the commander of the ship _Vulcan_,
740 tons register, was a monkey named Tricky.

Time would fail me to tell of the life that monkey led them all on board
the _Vulcan_. After the first week only two things lay between him and
death at any moment. One was his inventiveness. Tricky's wickedness was
nothing, if not original. Every day he was at some new villainy; and
anything _new_ on board ship is sacred. There is no _Punch_ published on
board ship; but Tricky was all the comic papers rolled into one. But
that was not the main reason. There is a good deal of quiet quarrelling
on board ship. The mate spared Tricky because he thought he would some
day give the Captain a 'turn'; the Captain let him live, hoping he would
do something dreadful to the mate. Everybody waited to see Tricky do
something to somebody else. So he rose to the highest rank in the
merchant-marine, and was respected almost to idolatry by all on board
the _Vulcan_.

One day Tricky was hanged--formally, deliberatel