390 NIGHTS IN THE GALLEY. 



are not all such clever fellers' that's just what he said I assure you 

 ' they are not all such clever men as you.' Well now, suppose he had 

 said such a thing as that to one of the hignoramus, what would he 

 have done ? why he'd have just touched his hat and said, ' Thank'e, 

 Sir ; but what do you think I did ?" 



" Why I suppose you answered him more like a man of laming, 

 at least I should hope so," said the sergeant. 



" To be sure I did ; I said, I feels hexcessively honoured at the 

 hexceeding igh compliment you have paid me, Sir,' and made him a 

 low and polite bow, instead of just touching my hat ; he didn't say 

 nothing, but he turned away smiling ; I could see he was pleased, 

 and it's natural to suppose he should be pleased to see he has at 

 least two men of laming on board." 



" Certainly, it must give him the most superlative happiness to 

 make an observation of that sort, and I will give you the most un- 

 doubtablest proof that he knows the value of having men, without 

 flattering myself, which you know I never do indeed I rather de- 

 preciate my talents, don't I ?" 



" Certainly you do, and I think you must confess I do so also." 



" Yes you do, but as I was discoursing relative to the first leaftenant, 

 I will, I say, give you the most undoubtablest there's a word that 

 would puzzle those hignoramus! but you know the meaning of it?" 



" To be sure I do." 



" More than I do," said I to myself. 



" Undoubtablest proof that he knows the value of having even 

 two men so superior to the rest on board. I was standing the other 

 day on the poop, looking at some signals that were being made from 

 the flag-ship, when the first-leaftenant called me. ' Sarjeant,' says 

 he, ' I want to ask your advice about the uniform for the band ; I 

 want,' says he, * to have something that's easily cleaned and easily 

 repaired when we are out of the way of English tailors and English 

 shops.' Now that of itself, his having asked my advice, is enough to 

 show what he thinks of me. I don't want to boast, indeed you 

 know I never do but that shows, doesn't it ?" 



" Most hindubitably it does," returned the cook, adjusting his 

 shirt collar, which he never wore after the manner of Jack, but as 

 he declared himself ha lai militer (a la militaire, perhaps). 



" Yes that, as I said before, is enough to show," continued the 

 sergeant ; " but that is not all, I will tell you the whole of our con- 

 versation. ' Why, Sir,' says I, ' since you have done me the extreme 

 honour to ask my opinion on a matter of so much importance, not 

 only as it regards the comfort of the men themselves, but also the 

 respectability of the whole of the hofficers of this ship, you will 

 perhaps permit me to observe that what you have said with regard 

 to cleanness ' ( Yes yes, sarjeant, but I am sorry (mark that, he 

 was sorry !) I have not time to listen to you now ; I must speak to 

 you more about it by and by ;' and so I said I shall at all times feel 

 superlatively happy to assist you with my advice ; and he was so 

 pleased at what I said that he could not help laughing." 



" I should think not," said Will Gibbon, who had been listening 

 for some time ; " I should like to know who could help laughing at 



