NIGHTS IN THE GALLEY. 631 



been shipmates in another ship they were chums throughout and 

 my uncle kept pacing up and down the main-deck, without noticing 

 any one, muttering between his teeth ' Died hove overboard like a 

 dog topsail shame brother friend !' and such like broken sen- 

 tences were now and then heard from him. At last all eyes were 

 upon him ; he was a fine fellow, six feet high, and strongly made. 

 The people, as he walked up and down the deck, first looked at him, 

 then at one another ; each appeared to pitch upon him as a leader, 

 yet nobody appeared to like to propose it. It was now nearly nine ; 

 my uncle looked at the men ; he saw their wishes ; his eyes flashed 

 fire. f He was my messmate my brother !' he cried, and he seized 

 a cutlass from a gun. ' Follow, lads ! Blood for blood !' Every cut- 

 lass was now grasped in an instant. One rush brought them to the 

 cabin-door. A faint resistance was made by the sentry the poor 

 fellow lost his life in a bad cause. They passed on the captain was 

 in bed he was dragged out. My uncle stood forward ; ' Did any 

 body hear this man order Tom Browne to be thrown overboard ?' 

 ' I I I/ said a hundred voices at once. ' Enough, lads what do you 

 say ? Tom Browne was our messmate/ They all cried, ' Blood for 

 blood !' and my uncle drew a large clasp knife, and cut his throat ! 

 Before he was dead he was thrown out of his own cabin- window, and 

 the men then commenced their work of slaughter on the innocent as 

 well as the guilty. All died ! and the men were in possession of the 



ship, and my uncle There's pipe the hammocks down ; I must be 



off, by George !" said Jack. 



" O, but I say, Jack, tell us what came of your uncle ?" 

 " I'll tell you that another night, lads ; I must go and get my 

 hammock down, and after that have a bit of a hop. Has any one 

 asked for the fiddler?" 



" No, no ask yourself, Jack; you're sure to get him." 

 " Very well, very well wait till the hammocks are down." 

 " But I say, Jack," said Will Gibbon, who appeared to be a good 

 deal moved, "you'll tell us about your uncle ?" 

 " Ah, boy, another night." 

 " Well, to-morrow ?" 



" Ay, to-morrow ;" and away they went to get their hammocks 

 down, and I to see them do so, fully determined to hear the sequel 

 on the morrow which I did. 



