a sailor, Misther Gray-ham, if ye can't
stand a bit av fun!"

"Fun, you call it?" I rejoined, rather angrily, I must confess, looking
down ruefully at my soaking suit. "Why, I'm wet through!"

"Niver moind that," replied he, still grinning, as was also Adams.
"Sure, it's ownly y'r say chris'nin', though it's pricious little av the
say there is, be the same token, in this dirthy shoal wather alongside
av us now."

"But, it is salt for all that," said I, having had an opportunity of
tasting it's flavour, my mouth being wide open when I got the ducking.
"It is just like brine and even more nasty!"

Tim laughed all the more at the faces I made, as I spluttered and fumed,
trying vainly to get rid of the taste; for, I had swallowed about half a
pint at least of the stuff.

"It ain't as good as Paydro's tay that we had jist now, is it?" he
observed consolingly. "Thare's too many did dogs an' cats an' other
poor bastesesses in it for that, me bhoy; but, faix, ye jist wait till
we gits into blue wather an' out av soundin's, it'll be a real trayte
for ye to taste it thin."

"I don't know about that," I answered, getting over my little bit of
temper and laughing too, he gave such a knowing wink and looked so
comical--as I daresay I did, with all the shine taken out of my new
uniform--"I think I've had quite enough of it already."

I do not believe I could forget anything, however trivial, that occurred
that day, every incident connected with the ship and its surroundings
being stamped indelibly on my mind.

The bright February afternoon was already drawing to a close, the sun
having set, as usual at that time of year, about half-past five o'clock,
going down just as we were in all the bustle of "bringing up;" and, as
the Silver Queen had swung with the tide after anchoring, her head now
pointing up stream, looking back as it were on the course she had gone
over, I had an uninterrupted view from where I stood on the forecastle
of the western horizon, with the hazy city still apparent between. I
noticed how the warm crimson and orange tints of the after-glow changed
gradually to the more sober tones of purple and madder and pale sea-
green, marking the approach of evening, a soft semi-transparent mist the
while rising from the surface of the water and blotting out one by one
the distant objects. It was still light enough, however, to see
everything all round near where we were lying, we being then just off
the Lobste