not a bad imitation of a _little_ gun.

"Soon?" inquired Gaff.

"P'r'aps yes, p'r'aps no."

Once more the seamen relapsed into a silence which was not again broken
until two of the crew and several Russians came on deck.

Haco gave orders to have the topsail reefed, and then commencing to pace
to and fro on the small deck, devoted himself entirely to smoke and
meditation.

Soon after, there was a loud cheer from Billy Gaff. The Bu'ster had
suddenly awakened from an unbroken sleep of twelve hours, tumbled
incontinently out of his berth, rushed up the ladder, thrust his head
above the hatchway, and, feeling the sweet influences of that lovely
morning, vented his joy in the cheer referred to.

Billy had begged hard to be taken to London, and his father, thinking
that, the sooner he began the seafaring life to which he was destined,
the better, had consented to take him.

Billy willed to accomplish a great number of pieces of mischief during
the five minutes which he spent in gazing breathlessly round the ship
and out upon the glittering sea; but he was surrounded by so many
distracting novelties, and the opportunities for mischief were so
innumerable, that, for the first time in his life, he felt perplexed,
and absolutely failed to accomplish anything for a considerable time.

This calm, however, like the calm of nature, was not destined to last
long.

"Daddy," said the cherub suddenly, "I'm a-goin' up the shrouds."

"Very good, my lad," said Gaff, "ye'll tumble down likely, but it don't
much matter."

Billy clambered up the side, and seized the shrouds, but missing his
foothold at the first step, he fell down sitting-wise, from a height of
three feet.

There was a sounding thud on the deck, followed by a sharp gasp, and the
boy sat staring before him, considering, apparently, whether it were
necessary or not to cry in order to relieve his feelings. Finding that
it was not, he swallowed his heart with an effort, got up, and tried it
again.

The second effort was more successful.

"That'll do, lad, come down," said Gaff, when his son had got half-way
up the mast, and paused to look down, with a half-frightened expression.

Contrary to all precedent, Billy came down, and remained quiet for ten
minutes. Then he willed to go out on the bowsprit, but, being observed
in a position of great danger thereon, was summarily collared by a
sailor, and hauled inboard. He was about to hurl defiance in the teeth
o