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BEN BRACS.
‘who kept shouting, ‘A sailor adrift on a
carriage !’-and bobbing under the horses’
noses until they got discontented at being
worked so hard, and began to mutiny out-
right. One fired away at Joe with his heels,
who dropped thé helm and touched him up
over the stern. This made both worse ;
for Joe had got all hands to the whip, and
was only determined to punish his crew for
sheir bad behavior. . .
“ We had not got far, when we found the
‘ook-out craft hove-to and trimming ship.
“*Hulloa, said I, ‘what's the matter,
Watson ? : mo
“We have hove-to to’ repair damages,’
said he; ‘for as I was steering end-on for
the church, the craft got into a head sea,
and, after bobbing about, run aground upon
her knees, and shook my timbers a bit, for
I went over the- bows; whilst the young-
ster, as the ship lifted forward with the sea,
slipped over the stern; but we shall be
ready ina moment. I’ve repaired damages
forward, and I’m shifting my ballast aft, for
she sails too much by the head. [can
manage her well enough now; but I think
you had better shift the boy on one of your
nags. So away with you, little one,’ said
he, giving him a slap on the back; ‘and
mind, do you hear?’ * Victualled on board
the day discharged !”
““¢ Come on deck here,’ said Bill; “and,
do you hear? turn to and dance us a horn-
pipe as we goalong. Strike up, old Scrape-
hard! and tip us your best hornpipe; and,
squadron, make sail !’
“Ina short time we had gat off the har-
bor, and were unlading the cargo, when Joe
came along, going about fourteen knots, his
tiller-ropes lost, and his ship running away
with him. :
““* Shorten sail,’ said Bill, ‘or you'll, be
aboard the church.’
“Tuff, Joe, luff, and weather it,’ said I,
*My eyes! there he goes, right end on!’
and down came the horses, pitching Joe
over the bows. .
“ Nothing ever hurt his health but going
without his grog. He was up in a moment,
and reported that: his ship was wrecked, her
stem-piece stove in, and that she was bilged
and Iving over on her starboard side. The
crew were all safe, and we prepared to en-
ter the harbor. I caught hold of Betsy by
the flipper.; and Bill was behind with Moll
Davis. She was rather the worse for her
allowance in the morning, and would sing,
although a chap who said he was a clerk in
the establishment tried to stop her, :
* © To tne devil wid you ! said Moll Davis.
‘Do you think, you black-looking raven,
that I won’t sing a song on the day of Bet-
sy’s marriage ?’? And she set off at the top
of her voice, which was rather thick and
hoarse than otherwise. After she had given
us the song, and all hands were aboard, we
Qi
walked into the church as quict and as or-
derly as men at a funeral. ,
“Well, we were all ranged one alongside.
of each other round some rail-work, and the
parson stood inside. He soon began to read
something, which none of us seemed to un-
derstand, until he looked me full in the face
with one eye, and said he, ‘ Will you have
this woman to thy wedded wife?’ Now the
parson squinted a bit with the other, and J
thought his eye, which was looking towards
his staiboard ear, was upon Moll Davis:
and us I understood the words to mean,
whether .I would take Moll Davis to my
wedded wife, I answered, ‘ Certainly not,
sir, : .
“The clerk began to say something ; but
Bill soon stopped him by saying, ‘ Avaust’
heaving, young man! hadn’t you better take
a reef in your jawing-tacks, and double
your distance ? ;
“'The clergyman explained what it meant,
and he asked me again: ‘Certainly, siry’
said I; ‘I come here for that same pur-
pose.’
“You must say,’ said the clerk, ‘J
will.’
“Certainly ! said I.
“© hat won’t do,’ continued the devil-
dodger ; ‘ you must say only, J will.’
“*T will, says I; ‘and now I hope you
are satisfied.’ .
“We got through the business in about
a quarter of an hour; and we were then
taken into a room to sign our names.
“Well, I never could write, for I never
had no edneation like; so I c!apped a cross,
such as we make to the paper about the
prize-agents. Well, Betsy could not wrife,
so she stuck another. Then they told Bill
he must witness it, and he couldn’t write
either ; and then Moll Davis made her mark,
which was a large black blot on the book ;
for she was then all nohow, and dabbed
down the pen, and then shoved it athwart
the clerk’s muzzle. But the best of all
was Bill when he heard the little chap in
black ask for a fee. -
“¢What’s that ? said Bill; ‘I never
heard of that liquor before.’
“*Tt’s money I want,’ said the clerk ;°
‘any little gift—a crown or so.’
‘““¢ Take that upon your crown,’ said Bil;
and he put the clerk’s hat on, and giving it
one rap, flattened in the jib-sheet, and only
left the mouth and chin to be seen.
“* Now, then,’ said I, after all hands had
kissed Betsy, ‘the devil take the hinder-
most, and let’s have a ride round the town.
And, perhaps,’ said. I, respectfully,— per-
haps your worship will come with us ?—we
won’t stow you in the cabin; you shall be
up aloft amongst the seamen on the quarter- -
deck, where you can see the ship is proper-
ly worked.’ I am blessed if I don’t think
he thought we were going to press him;
‘