the lamp, trying to warm his hands; and I noticed
that when they handed him some rum, he put it down by his side, going on
talking like to the lamp, as he spun away at his story.

CHAPTER THREE.

THE IRISH SAILOR'S YARN.

"_The Ghost on Board Ship_."

I have followed the say, man and boy, any time these thirty years and
more; and sure it's but little I have to tell you about that same in the
way of short commons, long voyages, mishaps, and shipwrecks that would
be interesting to you, seeing that, in all rasonable probability, you
have all of you had your fair share of the like.

However, maybe I can spin you a short yarn about what every one of you
hasn't seen, and that is a "ghost on boord ship."

"A ghost on board ship!" chorused the sailors, turning eagerly toward
the speaker.

Bedad, ye may say that, and as fine a ghost as ever mortial man set eyes
upon.

You must know I was always partial to the say, and first tried my hand
at a sailor's life wid a cousin of my mother's, who had a small sloop he
used for fishing along the coast off the Cove of Cork.

It was on boord the little _Shamrock_ I got my say-legs, and, by the
same token, many a sharp rope's-ending into the bargain.

I had plinty to ate, and plinty to drink, and plinty of hard work, too,
as there were but three hands on boord--my cousin, one man, and myself,
making up the entire crew.

I was well enough trated, and had no rason to complain.

The sloop was a fast sailer, and a good say-boat, and I ought to have
been continted--but somehow it's myself that wasn't satisfied at all at
all.

I never saw the tall masts of the big ships that traded to furrin parts
that I didn't long to clamber up their sides, and see if I couldn't get
a berth--anything, from captain to cabin-boy, I wasn't particular--on
boord one of them.

One fine day, when the little sloop was high and dry, my cousin stepp'd
into a shebeen to get a taste of the mountain dew, and give me what he
called my share, which was a dale more pewter than whiskey--for it's
mighty little of the latter was left in the measure whin he handed it to
me; when a tall, spare, good-looking sort of a chap enough, with
lashings of bright brass buttons on his coat and waistcoat, and a smart
goold band round his peaked cap, who happened to be taking his morning's
refreshment at the same time, said to my cousin as he emptied his
naggin, "Fill that," says he, "onct more,--fill that, and drink wid