my throat--is a sign of death: for I once knew a man--to
_live_ with--_the rattle in his throat_--for _six_ weeks." He fell back
and expired, having, perhaps, at his last gasp, told the greatest lie of
his whole life.

Thus died this most extraordinary character, who, in most other points,
commanded respect; he was a kind man, and a good officer; but from the
idiosyncrasy of his disposition, whether from habit or from nature,
could not speak the truth. I say from nature, because I have witnessed
the vice of stealing equally strong, and never to the eradicated. It
was in a young messmate of good family, and who was supplied with money
to almost any extent: he was one of the most generous, open-hearted lads
that I ever knew; he would offer his purse, or the contents of his
chest, to any of his messmates; and, at the same time, would steal
everything that he could lay his hands upon. I have known him watch for
hours, to steal what could be of no use to him, as, for instance, an odd
shoe, and that much too small for his foot. What he stole he would give
away the very next day; but to check it was impossible. It was so well
known, that if anything were missed, we used first to apply to his chest
to see if it were there, and usually found the article in question. He
appeared to be wholly insensible to shame upon this subject, though in
every other he showed no want of feeling or of honour; and, strange to
say, he never covered his theft with a lie. After vain attempts to cure
him of this propensity, he was dismissed the service as incorrigible.

Captain Kearney was buried in the churchyard with the usual military
honours. In his desk we found directions, in his own hand, relative to
his funeral, and the engraving on his tombstone. In these, he states
his age to be thirty-one years. If this were correct, Captain Kearney,
from the time that he had been in the service of his country, must have
entered the navy just _four months before_ he was born. It was
unfortunate that he commenced the inscription with "Here lies Captain
Kearney," etcetera, etcetera. His tombstone had not been set up
twenty-four hours, before somebody, who knew his character, put a dash
under one word, as emphatic as it was true of the living man, "Here
_lies_ Captain Kearney."

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT.

CAPTAIN HORTON--GLOOMY NEWS FROM HOME--GET OVER HEAD AND EARS IN THE
WATER, AND FIND MYSELF AFTERWARDS GROWING ONE WAY, AND MY CLOTHES
ANOT