NIGHTS IN THE GALLEY. 393 



think on it, 'cause I knows you are a Christian, and none o' them 

 what denies them ere sort o' things/ f No, no/ says I, ' I knows too 

 well about them to go to deny them ; I remembers my father telling 

 me a story about 'em.' * Do you, Will ?' says he ; ' well, then I re- 

 member what happened in a ship I was in I'll tell you, for we arn't 

 got nothing to do, and its your middle watch.' I forgot to tell you 

 though, lads, that the watch had been called by this time. Well, so 

 Charlie went on to tell me, that when he was in the Wenus (Venus) 

 West-Ingeeman, he went to Jamaica, and coming home just as they 

 were crossing the line, one o' the men heard a noise like two people 

 fighting just under his hammock; so he poked his head over the gun- 

 nel (gunwale) to see what they were doing of; but although he heerd 

 the noise, he could see nothing for a long time ; at last the noise 

 ceased, and after a bit he heard a rush, as if somebody was running ; 

 and looking again, he saw something black dart under one of the 

 mess-tables ; so he thought it was better not to look at it, if it was 

 any thing wrong ; so he hid his head under the bed-clothes, and the 

 next mornin' he told the chief-mate of it the captain was ill, or 

 he would have told him. Well, the chief-mate only laughed at him ; 

 so Charlie said, ' You may laugh if you please, Sir ; but take my 

 word for it, sum'ut will happen afore long;' and sure enough in three 

 weeks the skipper died, although he had been getting much better 

 before that. ' What do you think of that, Will ?' says he. < Think,' 

 says I, f why I thinks it will be well if nothing o' that don't happen 

 to none o' us ; but we arn't seen the worst yet, Charlie,' says I. Just 

 as I said that, an old black cat that we'd had on board for some time 

 came along the skeeds of the main hatchway. ' Charlie,' says I, ' I 

 have heerd that throwing a black cat overboard prevents any harm 

 coming to us.' ' Well thought of,' said Charlie, ' I know it does. 

 I have seen when we've been knocking about for a month on a stretch, 

 with a foul wind, not going an inch to windward, we've got a fair 

 wind in a jiffy by throwing a black cat overboard it's the most 

 lucky thing in the world.' I knew this before, so I catches hold of 

 the cat, and was just going to pitch her overboard, when somebody 

 from the main-top sings out, ' The main-topsail-yard sprung, Sir.' 

 f By God,' said Charlie, ( we shall lose every thing directly. I wish 

 we'd've thought of throwing that cat overboard afore the main-top- 

 sail-yard went; but overboard with her at once, Will,' says he, 'be- 

 fore we lose any thing else.' So away she went overboard, and up I 

 went aloft to shift the main-topsail-yard; and sure enough, lads, it 

 grew finer and finer every minute, till at last we had whole topsails, 

 courses, and top-gallants upon her. What do you say to that, lads ? 

 will any body deny them things after that ere ?" 



" Deny them !" said Torn, " nobody will do that but a fool ; but 

 you oughtn't to have thrown the cat overboard at the gangway you 

 should have pitched her over the weather-bow, at leastways that's 

 always the way I've seen it done. But, I say, there you are, are ye, 

 Jack ? finish your yarn about them people with such long names 

 Polhi what do you call it?" 



" Pothalimo," said Jack ; " well, come, I'll finish it ; so here 

 goes 



