swine to pass
between his legs, and not to put on such an agonized look. He coaxed
him by the promise that he himself would attend to his wounds as soon
as they got safely aboard. The good-hearted soul took infinite trouble
in his rough way to fulfil the pledge he had given. They were not
intercepted by the military gentleman who guarded the destiny of the
port, and as soon as their feet were planted on deck Ralph exclaimed,
"Now we're safe." Jack has an inherent belief in the sacredness of
British territory, either floating or otherwise. He is a stout upholder
of British supremacy, and conformity to the laws of other nations does
not appeal to him. His creed is undisguised, and has been handed down
as an heirloom from the great naval hero who smashed the combined
fleets of Spain and France at Trafalgar. Here it is: "Fear God, and
hate a Frenchman as the devil hates holy water." The average sailor
continues to believe this to be an edict which alone can assure
patriotism and divine compassion. All these things were well mixed in
Ralph's brain. He never doubted the truth of them, and the one idea
which brought forth the utterance, "Now we're safe," was the conviction
of British supremacy and protection.

It took Mr Munroe a few days to get into working order. The news of the
adventure and the sequel to it soon spread amongst the English vessels
in port. There was much visiting and jocular sympathy expressed for the
prime mover, and the sailor's sense of humour was greatly touched by
all he heard. The mate himself was a humourist, and after he had got
over the painful period he often told the story against himself, and
never failed to do so with a vividness that made it highly attractive.

The loading of the vessel was in no way delayed by this little freak,
as there was no cargo down. Captain Macgregor, however, had not been
seen for several days, and the vessel was nearly ready for sea. The
proper agencies were instructed to have him brought aboard, drunk or
sober, so he landed aboard drunk, and gave everybody an unhappy time
until he was got into his bunk and sent to sleep. The next day he rose
early, got all his papers and accounts made right, paid them, signed
bills of lading, cleared, and put to sea with a fair wind. There were
no traces of intemperance in either his behaviour or in the manner of
giving orders. He talked with marked intelligence to his officer, and
partook of the evening meal with him; and as he ha