NIGHTS IN THE GALLEY. 545 



he was a very quick little feller, and always remembered what he was 

 told ; at last the ship was rigged, and away they went to cruise in 

 the Channel to protect the homeward bound merchantmen ; it was the 

 month of August, and they had rather blowing weather ; all one for 

 that. Little Watts, that was his name, was always on the maintop- 

 sail yard at reefing topsails, blow high or low ; and sometimes, when 

 he could get the captain of the maintop in the line to let him, he used 

 to lay out on the maintop-gallant-yard to furl the topgallant-sail; 

 o'cause he was no use there, he was so little only thirteen. At last, 

 one night it came on to blow a heavy gale of wind ; they had close 

 reefed topsails on her at four bells in the middle watch, and at about 

 six it came on to blow so hard they were obliged to furl the fore and 

 mizen-topsail, and heave her to under a monkey-topsail and storm- 

 staysails ; well, all the time, young Watts was on the mizen-topsail- 

 yard, furling the mizen-topsail, and hard work they had of it, blow- 

 ing like blazes, thundering and lightning, with a Scotch mist 

 right in their teeth ; but this warn't enough to send the youngster 

 below ; he was out at the starboard railing all the time, and the last 

 in off the yard ; at last he came down out o' the mizen rigging, and 

 as he past my father, who was at the cabin, ( Well done, younker,' 

 says my father, ' you've done pretty well for to-night.' ' I haven't 

 done half enough yet, though,' says young Watts ; 'this is the sort o' 

 night for me ; I'll do something soon, I hope ;' and sure enough he 

 did, lads. The skipper was standing in the signal locker abaft, car- 

 rying on, and aft went young Watts and stood close alongside on him. 

 Well, presently there was a cry from the maintop of a man overboard. 

 ' A man overboard !' cries the skipper ; ( good God, nothing can save 

 the poor feller such a night as this.' ' I will, I will, Sir/ says young 

 Watts ; and before the skipper could stop him, he had thrown his hat 

 down on the deck, and overboard he went. ' Let go the life buoy,' says 

 the skipper ; ' make the end of the main-brace fast to it, that's their only 

 chance. What boy was that went overboard ? he's a fine spirited feller ; 

 111 take care of him if he lives.' Well, the life buoy had been let go, and 

 the men kept trying it to see if it dragged ; at last it did, so they sung 

 out ' Somebody has got hold of the life buoy, Sir 1' 'Haul up 

 gently then, lads,' says the skipper ; at last they hauled it up right 

 under the quarter ' Now let go the starboard Jacob's ladder who's 

 the man,' says the skipper, ' that will go down that Jacob's ladder, 

 with a rope's end, to assist the poor feller ?' ' I, Sir,' says my father ; 

 for he thought it was young Watts. Well, so he made a bowline 

 knot, and down he went ; so when he got nearly to the lowest step, 

 he says, ' who's that?' ' Ah, is that you, Short?' says young Watts. 

 ' Thank God, you are safe, you d d fine spirited young raecal ; but 

 I'll thrash you when you come on-board, you brave little scoundrel ;' 

 for my father hardly knew what he said, he was so glad to find 

 the little feller safe ; so he managed, after a good many trials, to pass 

 the bowline knot under his arms, and then told them to haul up 

 gently on deck, at the same time my father caught hold of his legs, 

 to prevent his swinging against the ship ; at last they got him on 

 deck. f Take him into my cabin, and tell my steward to give him a 

 tot of brandy ; and do you take one too,' says the skipper to my 



