in a cart with his hands tied; and old Blowhard beside him, smelling at a nosegay as big as the binnacle. I don't think as old 'Blow' knowed me again, not in long togs; but the skipper he smiles, and shows his beautiful white teeth as he was never tired of swabbing and holystoning, and 'There's Slap-Jack!' says he; 'Good-bye, Slap-Jack; I'll be first man over the gunwale in this here scrimmage, too,' says he, 'for they'll hang me first, and then Blowhard, when he's done with his nosegay.' I wish I could find such another skipper now; what say ye, mates?"
Smoke-Jack, who was sitting next him, did not immediately reply. He was obviously of a logical and argumentative turn of mind, with a cavilling disposition, somewhat inclined to speculative philosophy; such a character, in short, as naval officers protest against under the title of a lawyer. He turned the matter over deliberately ere he replied, with a voluminous puff of smoke between each sentence—
"Some likes a barky, and some wouldn't touch a rope in any craft but a schooner; and there's others, again, swears a king's cutter will show her heels to the liveliest of 'em, with a stiffish breeze and a bobble of sea on. I ain't a-goin' to dispute it. Square-rigged, or fore-and-aft, if so be she's well-found and answers her helm, I ain't a-goin' to say but what she'll make good weather of it the whole voyage through. Men thinks different, young chap; that's where it is. Now you asks me my opinion, and I'll give it you, free. I'm a old man-of-war's man, I am. I've eat the king's biscuit and drank the king's allowance ever since I were able to eat and drink at all. Now I'll tell you, young man, acause you've asked me, free. The king's sarvice is a good sarvice; I ain't a-goin' to say as it isn't, but for two things: there's too much of one, and too little of the other. The fuss is the work, and the second is the pay. If they'd halve the duty, and double the allowance, and send all the officers before the mast, I ain't goin' to dispute but the king's sarvice would be more to my fancy than I've ever found it yet. You see the difference atwixt one of our lads when he gits ashore and the Dutch! I won't say as the Dutchman is the better seaman, far from it; though as long as he's got a plank as'll catch a nail,
