38 COLLECTOR'S RAMBLES 



the better of Jack Tar, was almost sure to change his 

 mind before long. 



Jack would seat himself on the deck, take off one of 

 his shoes, while on each side, stick in hand, stood a 

 man having one leg bare to the knee. As the sailor 

 acted the cobbler, keeping up a lively conversation in 

 regard to shoemaking, he would strike out now and 

 then as in the act of drawing a waxed end, hitting the 

 two on their bare legs with the backs of his hard, rough 

 hands. Down would come the sticks with all the spite 

 that their cunning directors could command, but the 

 sailor was so quick that they seldom hit his fingers. 

 Another game, the name of which I have forgotten, 

 was played by three or four men who stood in line one 

 behind the other. The first one held his hands over 

 his ears, when one of those behind gave him a box on 

 the side of the head. He immediately turned round, 

 seized the supposed guilty one by the ear, and led him 

 to the place he himself had occupied. Mistaking his 

 man, he in turn was taken by the ear, and had to try 

 his chance once more. Roars of laughter followed a 

 successful catch, as the culprit, with face awry from the 

 strain upon his ear, was led to the front. It required a 

 great deal of self-control in those joining the sport to 

 keep an even temper, yet there was rarely any anger 

 shown. 



The Salvation Army was represented in our crew 

 by a thick-set, priestly-looking man named Tailor, who 



