yelled out that they was nibblin' their toes!"

"Oh!" cried the captain, "we must put a stop to that. My dog here is a
good ratter, and I think he'll be able to polish off a few for you.
Where do you think, Tarbolt, the brutes hang out?"

"Away forrard, sir, under some o' that spare gear thet's stowed there,
sir; and likewise down in the bilge amongst the ballast and dunnage."

"Very good; shove your lantern, Tarbolt, over here," said the captain,
edging forwards as he spoke, with `Gyp' and the rest of the officers a-
following him. "Boys, you can stand off for a bit from your pumping and
come and see the fun."

We didn't need any further invitation, being only too glad to let go of
the beastly crank-handles; not to speak of the interest we took in the
anticipated enjoyable sport.

"Hi, `Gyp,' rats!" shouted the captain, when we all came up to a pile of
old casks and sails in the fore peak. "Go for 'em, good dog!"

The wardroom steward and the captain's valet had come down in the rear
of the officers, each of them provided with a lantern; and so, what with
the lights we already had with us, the place was sufficiently
illuminated for all to see the whole proceedings, which, needless to
say, we witnessed with the utmost delight, Mick, who was alongside of
me, staring open-mouthed, his face one broad grin from ear to ear.

"Begorrah!" he whispered to me. "Sure, it bates Bannagher, an's a'most
as good as what Oi've heerd tell of Donnybrook Fair, in the ould toimes,
from me fayther!"

All we could see of `Gyp' for some little time was a portion of his
stern quarters, with his little butt-end of a tail wagging away at high-
pressure speed, just like the escapement of a clock from which the
pendulum has been temporarily taken, so that it has for the moment no
check on its action.

Then, all at once, with a low growl, and every individual hair on his
white coat standing erect, his whole body the while quivering with
excitement, `Gyp' plunged forwards and disappeared into darkness, only
to reappear an instant later with an enormous rat, which he had gripped
in the small of the back, the vicious beast trying to worm itself round
so as to tackle his nose.

`Gyp,' however, knew a trick worth two of that, and, as he emerged into
the open again, chucked the rat up aloft in the air, almost to the deck
beams, and then, pouncing on it as the brute fell back under his
expectant jaws, the terrier severed its head from its