"Right side upwards, sir!" growled the captain fiercely. "You deserve to be headed up in the cask yourself and thrown overboard." As he spoke, the big cask appeared above the combings of the hatchway, was swung clear of the opening, and lowered again, to come down with a bump upon the deck. "Here, quick," cried the captain. "Bring an axe and knock off those top hoops." "Nay, nay!" cried the American coolly. "Don't interfere, sir," said Sir Humphrey; "it is to get the head out." "I know," said the American; "but one of those borings is a round keyhole. He'll open the head from inside if he's awake: and if he don't I can." "If he's awake!" said Brace bitterly. "P'raps he isn't, for he's a oner to sleep. Stand aside, skipper." The captain turned upon the man fiercely, but it had not the slightest effect upon him, for he kept his cigar in his mouth and smoked away, as he drew out a key like that used for the boot of a coach, thrust it into one of the holes in the head, gave it a turn, and the head of the cask opened outward in two pieces which turned upon hinges; while as the first mate thrust forward the lanthorn he held, it was nearly knocked out of his hand by the skull-cap-covered head which shot up, sending a thrill of relief through the circle of lookers-on. "Well, Dan, how goes it?" said the American. The fresh arrival, who seemed to be a thin diminutive-looking fellow of any age, whose perfectly smooth face looked peculiarly yellow, planted his hands one on either side of the cask, sank down, and then sprang up again, cleverly passed his legs over the side and landed himself--as if shot out by a spring--upon the deck, where he stood shrinking from the light, yawned long and widely, and then said slowly: "Oh, all right, boss. Bit hot and sleepy. What's o'clock?" "Time you and your precious master were over the side," cried the captain angrily. The man or boy, whichever he was, turned in the direction of the voice, blinking quickly in the faint rays of the lanthorn light as if even they dazzled him, and went on: "Who's him, boss?" "That, Dan? That's the captain." Brace burst into a hearty fit of laughter, in which his brother joined, and after a brief pause this was taken up by the two mates and followed by the men who were looking on. "Ho!" cried the captain angrily: "it's a capital joke. Very funny, no doubt; but it strikes me somebody's going to laugh on the wrong side of his mouth. Just wait till it's daylight." "Oh, it's all right, skipper. You can't set us ashore now," said the American, laughing. "Can't I? Oh! we shall see about that, my fine fellow. If you think I'm going on this voyage with a couple of lunatics on board you're preciously mistaken. I'd sooner sail to Egypt with a cargo of black cats." "Hark at him," said the American merrily to Sir Humphrey and his brother. "He likes his joke." "Joke, sir?" cried the captain. "You'll find this no joke, Mr Yankee Doodle."