SEVENTH EMPTYING. 117 



to see his fish if you wished to be sure of what he told you." 

 " Aye, aye," said the other, in answer to kind enquiries, 

 " there was no doubt James was a very decent fellow, but he 

 was no fisher ; lacked patience and practice and knowledge, 

 and never caught anything, somehow, bigger than a sprat.'* 

 But one day James went and hooked and landed a fine pike 

 of 2olbs., and with a view to settle John for ever, he first 

 exhibited it to the awe-striken people of the village, and then 

 in the midst of a large company, finished in a blaze of 

 triumphant glory by generously making John a present of it. 

 " Thanks," said John, coolly ; you are very good ; it is just 

 what I was looking for ; I am going fishing myself to-morrow, 

 and it will do excellently for bait." 



The captain of a ship about to leave port was making up 

 his crew, when he was applied to by a Scotchman, who was 

 taken on board at once without any inquiries as to character. 

 An Irishman standing by saw this, and at once applied, but 

 the captain did not like the look of Pat as much as he did 

 that of Sandy, and made numerous inquiries as to ante- 

 cedents and character, and very reluctantly at last did Paddy 

 pull out of his pocket a satisfactory, but dirty, discharge 

 from his last ship, whereupon he was engaged, and at once 

 entered into an argument with Sandy as to why he should 

 have been " tuk on " so easily, while on his part he had had 

 to enter into explanations. Three days out the ship 

 encountered a heavy gale ; these two men were together, 

 each with a bucket washing down the after-deck. Suddenly 

 a great wave washed overboard Sandy and bucket and all. 

 Instead of raising the usual cry, Paddy slowly descended to 

 the captain's cabin, and knocked calmly. "Well," said the 

 captain, "what is it?" "Captain," said Paddy, "have ye 

 a minnit to spare ? " " What do you want ? " said the 

 captain from the interior. " I want to shpake to ye." 



