‘What is it?’ I said, and wonders what was wrong with him. ‘My oil-skins,’ said he. ‘All the looseness in my oil-pants is ketched tight.’ And then Jerry woke up, with the noise he made in fallin’, I s’pose, and the most surprised man you ever saw. ‘Mother o’ mine!’ says Jerry, ‘what’s that?’ and just for’ard of him Aleck McKenzie leaps a full three feet into the air, hittin’ the deck beam so hard he must’ve left pieces of himself stickin’ to it. ‘What in the--!’ says Aleck, and when he got that far he sees this Jimmie Johnson. ‘Did you do that?’ he says. “‘No,’ says he, and tryin’ himself to get off the locker Aleck notices him. “‘What you doin’ there anyway?’ says Aleck. “‘I dunno,’ says Jimmie, and just then the _Colleen_ falls the other way and lets him loose again, and he leaps for the gangway and up on deck. Man, he fair flew, and I went up after him, not knowin’ what might happen to him, and Jerry and Aleck below swearin’ like crazy men. “Up on the deck there was the Skipper just able to keep his feet and talkin’ to Dal Skinner, [Illustration: “All the looseness in my oil-pants is ketched tight.”] who was to the wheel. It was dark enough, but you c’d make him out where the light of the binnacle hit on his wet oil-skins. Up to him popped the little man from somewhere. ‘My God, but it’s a wild night, ain’t it, Captain?’ says he. “‘Who the divil’s that?’ says the Skipper, and he peeks along the deck to where Jimmie was hangin’ to the weather rail. After takin’ another peek and seein’ who it was, the Skipper don’t pay no more attention to him, but goes on talkin’ to Dal. “‘I’m thinkin’,’ says the Skipper, ‘that it’s moderatin’ a bit and maybe she’d stand the stays’l pretty soon.’ Jimmie, I guess, was listenin’ to that and couldn’t hold in any longer. ‘Oh, Captain, Captain,’ says he, ‘she’s fallin’ apart forward,’ and tells him what happened in the forec’s’le. ‘How long you been sleepin’ for’ard?’ asks the Skipper. “‘Four nights now,’ says Jimmie. “‘Only four nights? That’s it, you’re not used to sleepin’ for’ard yet. You mustn’t mind that. They all used to think that at first. But Lord bless you, don’t you mind that. That’s just a little way she has. She don’t mean any harm.’ “‘But Jerry fell through his bunk.’ “‘And why wouldn’t he? sure he weighs a ton.’ “‘But,’ says Jimmie, ‘she pinched my oil-pants, her planks opened up so wide!’ “‘That so? And what size oil-skins do you wear?’ “‘I dunno,’ says he--‘these belong to Clancy.’ “‘There it is,’ said he, ‘Clancy’s a big man, and your oil-skins are too loose. Go below and see if you can find some that are four sizes smaller and get the loan of ’em. Go below anyway,’ says he, ‘and finish your mug-up. You’ll feel better.’ “‘If you don’t mind, Captain,’ says he, ‘I’d rather stay on deck awhile--it’s safer, I think.’ “‘All right,’ says the Skipper, ‘but don’t get in the way.’