r the body of the
padrone, "but he may have them--I wonder whether they'll ever turn up
again?"

"Not in our time, Jack," replied Gascoigne.

The other body, and all the basket lumber, etcetera, were then tossed
over, and the boat was cleared of all but the man who was not yet dead.

"Now let's examine the fellow, and see if he has any chance of
recovery," said Gascoigne.

The man lay on his side; Gascoigne turned him over, and found that he
was dead.

"Over with him, quick," said Jack, "before he comes to life again."

The body disappeared under the wave--they again hoisted the sail,
Gascoigne took the helm, and our hero proceeded to draw water and wash
away the stains of blood; he then cleared the boat of vine-leaves and
rubbish, with which it was strewed, swept it clean fore and aft, and
resumed his seat by his comrade.

"There," said Jack, "now we've swept the decks, we may pipe to dinner.
I wonder whether there is anything to eat in the locker?"

Jack opened it, and found some bread, garlic, sausages, a bottle of
aquadente, and a jar of wine.

"So the padrone did keep his promise, after all."

"Yes, and had you not tempted him with the sight of so much gold, might
now have been alive."

"To which I reply, that if you had not advised our going off in a
speronare, he would now have been alive."

"And if you had not fought a duel, I should not have given the advice."

"And if the boatswain had not been obliged to come on board without his
trousers, at Gibraltar, I should not have fought a duel."

"And if you had not joined the ship, the boatswain would have had his
trousers on."

"And if my father had not been a philosopher, I should not have gone to
sea; so that it is all my father's fault, and he has killed four men off
the coast of Sicily, without knowing it--cause and effect. After all,
there's nothing like argument; so having settled that point, let us go
to dinner."

Having finished their meal, Jack went forward and observed the land
ahead; they steered the same course for three or four hours.

"We must haul our wind more," said Gascoigne; "it will not do to put
into any small town: we have now to choose, whether we shall land on the
coast and sink the speronare, or land at some large town."

"We must argue that point," replied Jack.

"In the meantime, do you take the helm, for my arm is quite tired,"
replied Gascoigne: "you can steer well enough; by-the-bye, I may as well
look at my sh