served a very
large bird settle on the roof of the lantern, so I went cautiously up,
hopin' it would turn out a good one to eat, because you must know we
don't go catchin' these birds for mere pastime. We're very glad to get
'em to eat; and I can assure you the larks make excellent pies. Well, I
raised my head slowly above the lantern and pounced on it. Instantly
its claws went deep into my hands. I seized its neck, and tried to
choke it; but the harder I squeezed, the harder it nipped, until I was
forced to sing out for help. Leavin' go the neck, in order to have one
hand free, I descended the ladder with the bird hanging to the other
hand by its claws. I found I had no occasion to hold tight to _it_, for
it held tight to _me_! Before I got down, however, it had recovered a
bit, let go, and flew away, but took refuge soon after in the
lantern-house on deck. Here I caught it a second time, and once more
received the same punishment from its claws. I killed it at last, and
then found, to my disgust, that it was a monster sparrow-hawk, and not
fit for food!"

"Somethink floatin' alongside, sir," said Dick Moy, running aft at that
moment and catching up a boat-hook, with which he made a dart at the
object in question, and struck, but failed to secure it.

"What is it, Moy?" asked Mr Welton.

"On'y a bit o' wreck, I think. It looked like a corp at first."

Soon after this most of the people on board the Gull went below and
turned in, leaving the deck in charge of the regular watch, which, on
that occasion, consisted of Dick and his friend Jack Shales. Jerry
MacGowl kept them company for a time, being, as he observed,
"sintimentally inclined" that night.

Stanley Hall, attracted by the fineness of the night, also remained on
deck a short time after the others were gone.

"Do you often see dead bodies floating past?" he asked of Dick Moy.

"Not wery often, sir, but occasionally we does. You see, we're so nigh
the Goodwin sands, where wrecks take place in the winter months pritty
constant, that poor fellers are sometimes washed past us; but they ain't
always dead. One night we heard loud cries not far off from us, but it
was blowin' a gale, and the night was so dark we could see nothin'. We
could no more have launched our boat than we could 'ave gone over the
falls o' Niagary without capsizin'. When next the relief comed off, we
heard that it was three poor fellers gone past on a piece of wreck."

"Were