THE BAROtf. 147 



" I say ditto," answered the Commissioner ; " we cannot 

 lose more than one tide by doing so, we can cook our 

 fish better at the camp fire than in the stove here, and 

 we shall be home time enough." The Baron finished his 

 tumbler. 



6 ( Priest, now it is your turn," said the Captain. " What 

 do you think is best to be done ? " The Baron looked 

 towards me with great confidence for he knew that I had 

 long been anxious to be homeward bound, while I, 

 throwing as much patience and resignation into my counte- 

 nance as I could assume, replied : 



"It is little matter to me now how long we stay here, I 

 have long since overstepped the limits of my leave ; and that 

 being the case, the consequences will be no worse if I am 

 detained away another month : so that the prospect which 

 to-day's sport affords of some good fishing, induces me to 

 vote for deserting the ship to-morrow, and pitching our 

 tents in the " old spot." 



The Baron, who had just compounded another tumbler- 

 ful! of brandy and water, swallowed it at a draught, then 

 slapped the glass with such emphasis on the table that it flew 

 into fragments, and before he could be asked for his vote 

 stalked out of the cabin towards the companion-ladder in 

 an unutterable rage ; but the peals of laughter by which he 

 was followed opened his eyes to the joke, and brought him 

 back to join in the amusement which his rising so readily 



L 2 



