41M) KATE FIFLE. 



door. The old gentleman kept a little tile-shop, and, considering his 

 age and sittivation in life, looked well enough for ashore-going feller. 

 He gave me a good deal of palaver, but I suppose that was bekase 

 I cut such a splashy figure, and had all my standing and running 

 rigging in such exact order. He told me his name was Fifle ; that 

 his father's name was Fifle too, and that he was glad of having an 

 opportunity of making friends amongst folks of my calling : so I 

 said ' Thankee ! ' and walked in to blow a cloud with him, and ship a 

 tumbler or two of grog. Well, boys, whilst I was in Plymouth, I 

 used to see Fifle and his daughter every day, and at last I thought I 

 couldn't do a better thing than ax the poor girl to cruise for the 

 remainder of her life with me in company. I axed her next day, 

 while her father was gone out with a castor to a customer, and had 

 the pleasure to see her turn more colors nor a dolphin a dying. 

 Howsomever, she consented, and a weak arter we all made sail for 

 the parish church. Kate was rigged out as fine as a new frigate, 

 with all her light duck spread to the wind, and dressed in all her 

 holiday bunting. Old Fifle had bought a new close-covering for his 

 main-top the day afore, and wore it on the occasion. 



" Just as the parson began to open his bow- port, and the t'other 

 feller what says Amen, had dropped anchor a little astern on him, in 

 walks old Ben Bobstay, captain of fo'castle aboard my ship the 

 Seizer.' " 



" * Yo ho ! brother Binnacle,' says he to me, as he come'd in, 

 ' have you got to the splicing business already ? You've given me a 



d d deal of trouble to find out where you'd run to ; but I've cut 



you off now, my boy : so I '11 just do my business, and sheer off 

 again.' 



" * What d'ye mean, Master Backstay, by coming here just at this 

 'ticular time ? ' says I. 



" ' Mean I' says he, ' ha! ha! come, that's a jolly good un. 

 Look here, Bob ; here 's a bit o' paper atween my finger and thumb, 

 what will make you clap your helm hard a starboard, and make a 

 broad sheer off to seaward, afore you can say ' haul in ! ' I know 

 it's a deuced hard thing, but I can't help it : your craft's a neat un, 

 and I 'm confounded sorry to put distance atween ye ; but fretting 's 

 not no use at all. Come make the best of a bad bargain, give her a 

 parting smack, and sheer off/ 



" Up I takes the bit of paper, and, sure enough, it looks as if it 

 was directed to me. I handed it over to old Fifle, and he readed it out 

 loud. I was ordered to go on board directly, for the Seizer, and a 

 lot more of the crack ships, were ordered off without a minute's 

 delay, 'cause Boney, and a whole shoal of his cursed Frenchmen, 

 was expected over every hour. 



" In course, nothing in the way 'of business could be done that 

 day. Kate went back again quite down in the mouth, with her 

 father, without a husband, and after giving her two or three hearty 

 smacks and a few kind words, I toddled off too. Poor devil ! she 

 took it sad to heart : she unplugged her scuppers every minute, and 

 once or twice I thought she was a going to founder in downright 

 artiest, 'cause the water gained on her so fast, and her lower 



