.

"Never mind him now, my lad," he said, waving his hand as if dismissing
Mr Macdougall from further consideration. "He's gone below, and joy go
with him, if he's got any conscience! And, by the way, Leigh, I shan't
forget that you've saved all our lives to-night by your timely warning."

"It was more Jorrocks than I, sir," I interposed here, stopping the
skipper's thanks. "I thought the sound of the breakers was caused by a
lot of whales blowing near us; but he knew better, and he it was who
sang out to the helmsman."

"Well, well, we won't argue the point," replied Captain Billings,
laughing. "I will say you both had a hand in it, if that'll suit you
better; but now, to end the controversy, you can go and turn in to your
old bunk, as I intend keeping the first watch till we're safe on our
right track again."

To hear was to obey, although, before I left the poop, the _Esmeralda_
having got well away from the perilous rocks that had nearly been her
ruin, I had the satisfaction of seeing her hauled round again up to the
wind, with her head pointing south, thus resuming her proper course
towards Cape Horn--only now with a more southerly pitch, sailing close-
handed on the port tack.

Towards four bells in the morning watch we achieved the wonderful
nautical feat of "Crossing the Line," and, as I was on deck at the time,
interviewing Pat Doolan in order to coax some coffee out of him, the
Irish cook had a joke or two at my expense, under the plea of
christening me on my entrance into Neptune's rightful "territory"--if
that term be not a Hibernian bull, considering the said territory is
supposed to lie below the sea!

It was only our thirty-third day out, and some of the hands were
congratulating themselves on our having got so far on our journey, many
vessels knocking about the equator when within reach of it for days
frequently before they can accomplish the passage.

"Be jabers!" said Doolan, "I call to mind once whin I was goin' from Noo
Yark to Australy in a schooner with a cargo o' mules--"

"Lor', here's a bender coming now!" interrupted one of the crew with a
laugh.

"Whisht, now!" ejaculated the cook indignantly. "Sure an' it's the
trooth I'm tell'n ye, an' niver a lie! Whin I were a goin' to Australy
in this here schooner, we kept dancing about hereabouts till a lot ov
them blessed mules died, an' in coorse we hove 'em overboard as soon as
they turned up their toes."

"That's a good un!" put i