ow that well as I do. Go right out of this
galley."

"Whaur's the mate?"

"Aft in the cabin, I told you. Get out of here."

Even now things might have been well, for a few of them showed a
willingness to go aft for the "mate." But the men of the other county
came to the other galley door, and, menaced from both sides, the
steward unwisely threw his brick. It struck the head of the foremost
Irishman (it was the man on his wedding trip) and almost knocked him
down. The cook frantically followed suit, and carnage began. The two
gangs crowded into the narrow apartment, and the cook and steward soon
went underfoot before the shower of fist-blows and kicks. They would
assuredly have been injured in the _melee_ had not a Limerick face
approached too temptingly close to a Galway fist and diverted the
storm. In utter fear of death the two crawled to the stove and pried up
a couple of bricks while the rival factions fought each other. But
their action was observed, and with whoops and oaths the combatants
armed themselves, while the cook and steward crawled under the galley
table for safety.

The captain and first mate were in the cabin, waiting for their dinner.
The second mate was near the wheel, admonishing the Irish helmsman, as
he dared, in the way of better steering "by-the-wind." Hennesey was in
the port forecastle, just turning out after his forenoon watch below,
and Murphy was amidships; but the sound of oaths, shrieks of rage and
pain, and the incessant hammering of bricks upon the bulkheads and the
pots and pans of the galley brought all to the scene, the captain and
mates with their pistols.

"Hold on, Captain," said Murphy; "don't shoot any wan. Just let 'em
fight it out, then they'll be more tractable."

This seemed reasonable, and the group watched from the main-hatch.
There was a steady flight of bricks out through each galley door, some
impacting upon the rails and falling to the deck, others going
overboard. Occasionally an Irishman would reel out in company with the
brick that had impelled him; but, after crawling around on all-fours
for a moment, he would go back with a brick gleaned from the deck. At
last, however, one came out with a little more momentum than
usual--enough to carry him over to the rail; and from this point of
view he could see the group at the hatch. He glared at them from under
his tousled hair, then uttered a war-whoop.

"Ei-hei-ee, in thaur!" he yelled, "quit yer foolin' an' c'm'