rting out of his 'ed.

"'There's the s-s-s-s-s-s-sis-sis-sip!' ses he.

"'The what?' ses the mate.

"'The s-s-sea-sea-sssssip!'

"'Look here, my lad,' ses the mate, taking out a pocket-hankerchief an'
wiping his face, 'you just tarn your 'ed away till you get your breath.
It's like opening a bottle o' soda water to stand talking to you. Now,
what is it?'

"'It's the ssssssis-sea-sea-sea-sarpint!' ses Sam, with a bust.

"'Rather a long un by your account of it,' ses the mate, with a grin.

"'What's the matter?' ses the skipper, who just came up.

"'This man has seen the sea-sarpint, sir, that's all,' ses the mate.

"'Y-y-yes,' said Sam, with a sort o' sob.

"'Well, there ain't much doing just now,' ses the skipper, 'so you'd
better get a slice o' bread and feed it.'

"The mate bust out larfing, an' I could see by the way the skipper
smiled he was rather tickled at it himself.

"The skipper an' the mate was still larfing very hearty when we heard a
dreadful 'owl from the bridge, an' one o' the chaps suddenly leaves
the wheel, jumps on to the deck, and bolts below as though he was mad.
T'other one follows 'm a'most d'reckly, and the second mate caught hold
o' the wheel as he left it, and called out something we couldn't catch
to the skipper.

"'What the d----'s the matter?' yells the skipper.

"The mate pointed to starboard, but as 'is 'and was shaking so that one
minute it was pointing to the sky an' the next to the bottom o' the sea,
it wasn't much of a guide to us. Even when he got it steady we couldn't
see anything, till all of a sudden, about two miles off, something like
a telegraph pole stuck up out of the water for a few seconds, and then
ducked down again and made straight for the ship.

"Sam was the fust to speak, and, without wasting time stuttering or
stammering, he said he'd go down and see about that bit o' bread, an' he
went afore the skipper or the mate could stop 'im.

"In less than 'arf a minute there was only the three officers an' me on
deck. The second mate was holding the wheel, the skipper was holding
his breath, and the first mate was holding me. It was one o' the most
exciting times I ever had.

"'Better fire the gun at it,' ses the skipper, in a trembling voice,
looking at the little brass cannon we had for signalling.

"'Better not give him any cause for offence,' ses the mate, shaking his
head.

"'I wonder whether it eats men,' ses the skipper. 'Perhaps it'll come
for som