420 THE SPITTER CURED. 



occasions on a cessation of speed, very nearly butted the 

 calves of his legs with his head. The spitter grew des 

 perate, and having forgotten, in the contemplation of his 

 strange follower, for some time to relieve his laden cheeks 

 in the usual way, he let fly such a quantity, that I heard 

 it slap the deck as if a pint of water had been dashed upon 

 it, and I think, his jaws thus cleared for action, he was 

 about to question his pursuer, but there was no need, for, 

 the instant he had thus soiled the hitherto beautifully clean 

 deck, the amphibious sprite, on its hands and knees, sprang 

 like a tiger on the offending stain, and removed it with 

 the swab. This done, like a careful retriever he came to 

 heel, and wherever our spitter went, again butted at his 

 legs. The hat of the American had by this time become 

 more limp than ever ; having been angrily and frequently 

 hit by the free hand of the free citizen, it assumed such 

 shapes as only the tall chimney-shaped hats of a model 

 republic can assume. The eyes beneath it became wild, 

 and again was a triple and collected avalanche squirted 

 under violent rejection on the decks, and again and again 

 the embodied sprite of all tobacco sprung from the heel, 

 obliterated all national stains, and again retired. I 

 looked at this, I looked at Capt. Lott, I looked on the 

 short, thick, bullet-headed individual who seemed to have 

 devoted himself to transatlantic legs for life, but not a 

 smile could I detect on the lips of captain or man every 

 thing was gravity itself. The American was beyond the 

 power of speech, and had the farce continued he must have 

 thrown himself overboard. I could stand it no longer, and 

 I burst into such an immoderate fit of laughter, that I 

 turned my back to this strange struggle, and held the 

 rail till it shook again. When I looked up, the time for 

 ejection of juice had again arrived, and this time the 



