at bottom, he paid him out for his laziness in
"shirking work," as he termed the constitutional nervousness that he was
powerless to fight against--Tom coming in for "more kicks than
halfpence" by his promotion to the cabin, and having "purser's
allowance" of all the beatings going, when the skipper was in one of his
tantrums.

I got into a serious row with the brute for taking Tom's part one day.
In his passion, the skipper knocked me down with his favourite
handspike, giving me a cut across my temple, the scar of which I'll
carry to my grave. My interference, however, saved Tom and myself any
further ill-treatment, as I bled so much from the blow he gave me and
was insensible so long, that the men thought the skipper had killed me.
They accordingly remonstrated so forcibly with him on the subject that
he promised to let us both alone for the future, at least so far as the
handspike was concerned.

Fortunately, however, we were not much longer at the mercy of the
brute's temper; for, the morning after this, we reached Beachy Head,
anchoring there to await the ebb tide down Channel, and the wind
chopping round to the north-eastwards, made it fair for us all the way,
enabling us to fetch Plymouth within three days.

Here, no sooner had the brig weathered Drake Island, anchoring inside
the Cattwater, where all merchant vessels go to discharge their cargoes,
than the skipper at once gave us notice to quit, almost without warning.

"Be off now, you lazy lubbers," he cried, motioning us down into the
_Saucy Sall's_ solitary boat, which had been got over the side, and
which, with Jorrocks in charge of it, was waiting to take us ashore.
"I'm glad to get rid of such idle hands; and you may thank your stars
I've let you off so cheaply for your cheek in stowing yourselves away
aboard my brig! You may think yourselves lucky I don't give you in
charge, and get you put in gaol for it!"

"You daren't," shouted back Tom, defiantly, as soon as he was safely
down in the stern-sheets of the dinghy. "If you wanted to give us in
charge, you ought to have done so in Newcastle, instead of making us
work there for you like niggers. I've a great mind to have you up
before the magistrates for your ill-treatment!"

This appeared to shut up the skipper very effectively, for he didn't
offer a word in reply; and, presently, Jorrocks landed us at the jetty
stairs, close inside the Cattwater.

Our old friend seemed quite sorry to part wi