The "Merrie Maide."

but I knew it would not do to trust such men as we had for a job of that kind , so I told the mate to take some of them witli him and cut away the gear forrard , while 1 did thc same with the lee fore-rigging . "Hannah had come with me as there was no steward on board and had scrambled on deck when we did . 1 asked her if she had

anything below in the shape of a chopper or big knife with which I could cut the thick ropes . She was down and up again much quicker than 1 should have been , and brought me a small hatchet , just the very thing . The mate had got an axe from the galley and was busy on the forecastle ; and I was making the best of my way to the fore shrouds , when 1 slipped and came a cropper against some spars and tilings that had got jammed in the lee gangway .

" There I floundered , bruised and battered , with my right arm and side badly hurt , and I have not thc ' smallcst doubt but that 1 should have been washed off by the next sea that came nboard if Hannah had not been after me very quickly . The lad who was acting as cook came to help her , and between them they go * , me up to the weather side . 1 told thc boy to go and cut away the lee fore-shrouds but . he was dazed or afraid . Anil , you'll hardly believe it , sir , but that girl , without the

least fear or hesitation , picked up the hatchet and made for the fore-shrouds , where she stood up to her knees in water , holding on with one hand and hacking away with the other until the mute , who had by this time got all clear , shouted to her to go aft out of the way . He then chopped away at the mast as far from the deck as he could reach , and , having severed the weather lanyards , away it went , taking the maintop gallant mast and niizen topmast with it .

Getting rid of nil this top-hamper was ot course : i great relief to the ship , but not enough to bring her cm an even keel—she still had a sufficient list to starboard to render her unmanageable . I then know that the ballast had shifted and told the mate he must get the hatches off and sec what could be done to bring her upright . All hands went below , for it was now a case of " sink or swim , " and bv working like niggers

they soon had the ship in fair trim . While this was going on 1 had been wondering how we were placed with regard to the land . Ifanniih had taken tho wheel , as I couldn ' t manage it myself , but I stood by her , and just before the men returned to tho deck I was delighted to see the Longships Light flash out through the haze , broad on our lee beam , a good four miles distant . Barring accidents , therefore , or a shift of the wind , we had escaped that danger .

On the well being sounded , I found there was less water in the ship than I had expected , and after giving tho men a glass of grog , 1 told them to have a spell at tho pump and then sound again , which they did , and reported three or four inches less than before . This satisfied us that there was no serious leakage . The next thing to be done was to get more sail on the ship , fur the main-topsail only just served to drag her through the witter . Tho mainsail had been furled before the squall strnck us , so they soon got that set , and then went to work to

lash a spar to the stump of the foremast , and get a staysail up to steady her a bit . " Here ' s Hannah coming up to fetch its to dinner ; so without going into further particulars , I may tell you that wo rounded the Longships all right . and then bore away for Lunrly Island . Just after daybreak a steamer hove in sight ; 1 hoisted my private flag , and she came near enough lo speak us . As luck would have it she was bound for Swansea , and her Captain , who turned out to be ' on tho square , ' was good enough to report our condition to my brokers , who sent out a tug to tow us in , and before dark we were safe alongside the quay in Swansea Doek . "

The foregoing was the substance of the Captain s story , as near as I can remember , and from notes taken at the time . 1 resumed the subject during the dinner , but learnt nothing fresh worth recording , except that he himself was not seriously injured , only bruised and shook up a bit , and his right wrist and shoulder badly sprained ; the second mate had two ribs fractured , and nothing was ever heard of the man who tumbled overboard .

"lam glad I was not in your shoes , Captain , " I remarked ; "audi don't wonder that you have so good nn opinion of your stewardess ; she seems to have been ' your right-hand man '—if one may use such an expression . " " Well , yes ; it was a rather narrow squeak , " he said ; " but it might have been worse . For instance , if we had been a few miles nearer land when the ship went over , nothing on earth could have saved her from the rocks ; so you see there is generally soiiicfliim ; to be thankful for . "

At my request the Captain showed mo what ho called his private ling . It was a triangular kind of flag , with n large square jun ] compasses , in white , on n blue ground . lie said most captains who were Masons hail something of the kind . It was useful at times , especially in foreign ports , and you wanted to find out whether there were any of the Fraternity aboard the other ships . Having spent many a pleasant evening with brethren whom he would not have known but for his flag ; he never went to sea without it . "

Tho "Mcrrie MnideY' officers had a berth to themselves in the fore pari of the poop , but generally one or other of them dined in the cabin . The chief mate ( Mr . Davidge ) was a rough old sea-dog , a bachelor , who seldom made his appearance nt the captain ' s table , although I noticed that he had no objection to spending a portion of his evening watch below over a glass of grog ami a chat with his

superior before "turning in . " I think he was nervous or shy , and it was only when Nellie insisted upon it that he condescended to favour us with his company . He would be striding to and fro on the quarter-deck , with his hands in the pockets of his pea-jacket , and his legs wide apart , when she would sidle up to him , link her arm in his , and , looking up with a bright smile , sav something of

The "Merrie Maide."

this kind—¦ ' Now , Mr . Davidge , you must really join us to-day ; you have not dined in the cabin for ercr so long ; I shall positively begin to think you are afraid of me . " " Well , well , I'll sec , I'll see , " ho would reply , with a smile , though looking the reverse of comfortable while the interview lasted , anil glancingnervonsly downward

at every step he took , as if he were afraid of treading on the toes of his young companion . After two or three turns he would stop , and rivet his attention on something aloft , and then would come the entreaty— " Oh ! do keep walking , Mr . Davidge , 1 know I shall fall if yon stop , and I have not had a nice walk with you for a long time . 1 declare 1 won ' t eat n bit if yon don ' t promise to come . "

" Yes , yes ; of course , with pleasure , " he would hastily ejaculate , while the perspiration stood in beads on his face . "That ' s right ; now you are a clear good man , and I will go and tell Hannah you are coming ; she will be pleased . " As soon as she was out of sight he would pull out a red handerchicf about as big as a moderate sized table cloth , with which he would mop his face energetically , striding rapidly up and down , pulling and blowing as though he had just passed through some very trying ordeal .

From certain waggish remarks of Miss Nellie ' s , which were always peremptorily hushed by the stewardess , I am inclined to think that something in the nature of a proposal had once emanated from Mr . Davidge after he hail been spending an evening on shore , but I never heard the rights of it . The second and third mates needed no such persuasive powers ; they came when they were asked , and seemed quite at their ease , generally dining in the cabin alternately . The former ( Mr . Gibson ) was a fair eomplexionpd , good-looking

man , standing nearly six ieet high , apparently about 25 years of age , who had been with Captain Conway from early boyhood . If is father had served under the same gentleman us chief mate for several years , and at his earnest intercession hail been appointed to the command of a vessel trading to the Mediterranean . He never returned from his first voyage as captain , for after leaving Gibraltar on his way home nothing was ever heard of the ship ; it was supposed that she had gone down with all hand ; during a heavy gale in the Atlantic .

A widowed mother and an invalid sister hid since depended on George Gibson for support . Captain Conway , who was as fond of him as if ho had been his own son , was loud in his praises— " A better son , a more thorough sailor , or a more trustworthy officer never lived . " Ho was as much a favourite with Nellie as he was with her father . When she wanted to know anything relating to the ship or ii'iutii'ul matters generally , which she often did , and her father would make some j K'ular reply , she would sometimes say " 1 will go and ask my big brother ; I

know he will tell me . " Indeed , they might very well have been taken for brother and sister , lie had known her from infancy , and they were always "Nell " ami "George" to each other . On fine evenings tho two were invariably to be seen promenading the deck together , before Nellie went below to her music . For a mere girl she had a remarkably sweet voice , and would often regale us with some of her father ' s favourite songs , much to the delight of the "hands , "

who would come as near to the companion as nautical etiquette permitted , and there sit and smoke their pipes in preference to spinning dog-watch yarns on tho forecastle . The third mate was quite a young mail , probably not more than twenty years of age , a sou of otic of tlie owners of the "Merrio Maide . " He was gentlemanly in manner , rather dandified in appearance , had a high opinion of himself , but was evidently no sailor . As he plays no part in this narrative , I shall merely state that his name was Edward Faulkner .

A fortnight passed without a single unpleasant incident , with the exception of a thick fog , which lasted a whole night and part of the next day , and necessitated the continuous blowing of the fog horn , whose music , I , for one , could very woll have dispensed with . On the morning of the fifteenth day there were indications of a change , and the Captain informed me that he was afraid we should " soon have more wind than we could make good use of . " Before eight o ' clock it was

found necessary to take in the lighter sails , and when tho morning watch was called tho ship was rolling along under topgallant sails , topsails , and courses , before a strong westerly breeze , every minute bringing us nearer homo . At noon the wind had increased considerably , and the Captain , after looking at tho glass , told the mate that after dinner he had better get the fore and mizen topgallant sails furled before the men turned in . When this was done , the sailors who had kept thc morning watch went below , while those whose duty it was lo remain on

deck busied themselves in lashing the movables and making everything secure . Towards evening it blew harder . As far as the eye could roach , tho sea was white with foam , and the big waves were- tumbling after each other as if in boisterous frolic . Occasionally a huge foam-crested roller would dash against the ship ' s side with such force as to cause her to stagger and tremble as if she had struck on some rock hidden beneath the surface-. Seeing no prospect of the gale abating , the captain deemed il advisable to again shorten sail anil make all snug before darkness set in .

The sea now ran sci high , and the ship rolled so heavily , that her lower yardarms nearly touched the tops of some of the waves . To me , who had never seen anything of the kind before , it was a grand sight , and one I shall never forget . I had been standing by , or rather clinging to , the companion , or entrance to the cabin , watching the exertions of the seamen with wonder and admiration , whilo ( he Captain was shouting his orders to the mate , when 1 became aware that I was not the only inactive spectator . Nellie and the stewardess had come to ( he top of the stairs and were evidently much interested in the . scene . I had

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