't even let the blue water finish you, but they must
set their carpenters and dockyard people to work upon you.' This thought
grieved me more and more. Had a stiff sou'-wester laid her over, I should
have felt it more natural, for her sand was run out; but just as this
passed through my mind, I heard a voice from one of the persons, that I at
once knew to be the port admiral's:--

"'Well, Dawkins,' said he to the other, 'if you think she'll hold together,
I'm sure I've no objection. I don't like the job, I confess; but still the
Admiralty must be obeyed.'

"'Oh, my lord,' said the other, 'she's the very thing; she's a
rakish-looking craft, and will do admirably. Any repair we want, a few days
will effect; secrecy is the great thing.'

"'Yes,' said the admiral, after a pause, 'as you observed, secrecy is the
great thing.'

"'Ho! ho!' thought I, 'there's something in the wind, here;' so I laid
myself out upon the anchor-stock, to listen better, unobserved.

"'We must find a crew for her, give her a few carronades, make her as
ship-shape as we can, and if the skipper--'

"'Ay, but there is the real difficulty,' said the admiral, hastily; 'where
are we to find a fellow that will suit us? We can't every day find a man
willing to jeopardize himself in such a cause as this, even though the
reward be a great one.'

"'Very true, my lord; but I don't think there is any necessity for our
explaining to him the exact nature of the service.'

"'Come, come, Dawkins, you can't mean that you'll lead a poor fellow into
such a scrape blindfolded?'

"'Why, my lord, you never think it requisite to give a plan of your cruise
to your ship's crew before clearing out of harbor.'

"'This may be perfectly just, but I don't like it,' said the admiral.

"'In that case, my lord, you are imparting the secrets of the Admiralty to
a party who may betray the whole plot.'

"'I wish, with all my soul, they'd given the order to any one else,' said
the admiral, with a sigh; and for a few moments neither spoke a word.

"'Well, then, Dawkins, I believe there is nothing for it but what you say;
meanwhile, let the repairs be got in hand, and see after a crew.'

"'Oh, as to that,' said the other, 'there are plenty of scoundrels in the
fleet here fit for nothing else. Any fellow who has been thrice up for
punishment in six months, we'll draft on board of her; the fellows who have
only been once to the gangway, we'll make the officers.'

"'A pleas