"Well, Harry," said Captain Greene, "it's a dirty night, but I'll turn in a spell, and leave you in command." "Ay, ay, sir." Captain Greene threw out a huge quid of tobacco which had rested for some time in his mouth, walked the deck a few times fore and aft, gaped as if his jaws were about to separate forever, and then disappeared through the cabin-door. Henry Morris, though an universal favorite with the crew and officers under his command, was yet a strict disciplinarian, and being left in command of the deck at once went the rounds of the watch, to see that all were on the look out. The night had far advanced before he saw any remissness; at length, however, he discovered a brawny tar stowed away in a coil of rope, snoring in melodious unison with the noise of the wind and wave; his mouth was open, developing an amazing circumference. Morris looked at him for some time, when, with a smile, he addressed a sailor near him. "I say, Jack Marlinspike!" "Ay, ay, sir." "Jack, get some oakum." Jack speedily brought a fist-full. "Now, Jack, some _slush_." Jack dipped the oakum in the slush-bucket which hung against the main-mast. "Now, Jack, a little tar." The mixture was immediately dropped into the tar-bucket. "Now, Jack, stow it away in Pratt's mouth--don't wake him up--'tis a delicate undertaking, but he sleeps soundly." "Lord! a stroke of lightning wouldn't wake him--ha! ha! ha! he'll dream he is eating his breakfast!" With a broad grin upon his weather-beaten face, Marlinspike proceeded to obey orders. He placed the execrable compound carefully in Pratt's mouth, and plugged it down, as he called it, with the end of his jack-knife, then surveying his work with a complacent laugh, he touched his hat, and withdrew a few paces to bide the event. Pratt breathed hard, but slept on, though the melody of his snoring was sadly impaired in the clearness of its utterance. Morris gazed at him quietly, and then sung out, "Pratt--Pratt--what are you lying there wheezing like a porpoise for? Get up, man, your watch is not out." The sailor opened his eyes with a ludicrous expression of fright, as he became immediately conscious of a peculiar feeling of difficulty in breathing--thrusting his huge hand into his mouth, he hauled away upon its contents, and at length found room for utterance. "By heaven, just tell me who did that 'ar nasty trick--that's all." At this moment he caught sight of Marlinspike, who was looking at him with a grin extending from ear to ear. Without further remark, Pratt let the substance which he had held in his hand fly at Marlinspike's head; that individual, however, dodged very successfully, and it disappeared to leeward. Pratt was about to follow up his first discharge with an assault from a pair of giant fists, but the voice of his commander restrained him. "Ah, Pratt! somebody has been fooling you--you must look out for the future."