his evidence, after divers strange gesticulations, opened his mouth
like a gasping cod, and with a cadence like that of the east wind
singing through a cranny, pronounced, "Half a quarter of a league
right upon our lee-beam."

"Nearer, you porpuss-faced swab," cried the commodore, "nearer by
twelve fathom: but, howsomever, that's enough to prove the falsehood
of Hatchway's jaw--and so, brother, d'ye see," turning to Pickle,
"I lay alongside of the Flour de Louse, yard-arm and yard-arm,
plying out great guns and small arms, and heaving in stink-pots,
powder-bottles, and hand-grenades, till our shot was all expended,
double-headed, partridge and grape: then we loaded with iron crows,
marlin-spikes, and old nails; but finding the Frenchman took a
good deal of drubbing, and that he had shot away all our rigging,
and killed and wounded a great number of our men, d'ye see, I
resolved to run him on board upon his quarter, and so ordered our
grapplings to be got ready; but monsieur, perceiving what we were
about, filled his topsails and sheered off, leaving us like a log
upon the water, and our scuppers running with blood."

Mr. Pickle and the landlord paid such extraordinary attention
to the rehearsal of this exploit, that Trunnion was encouraged to
entertain them with more stories of the same nature; after which
he observed, by way of encomium on the government, that all he had
gained in the service was a lame foot and the loss of an eye. The
lieutenant, who could not find in his heart to lose any opportunity
of being witty at the expense of his commander, gave a loose to
his satirical talent once more, saying,--"I have heard as how you
came by your lame foot, by having your upper decks over-stowed with
liquor, whereby you became crank, and rolled, d'ye see, in such a