retained its hold, now rendered more adhesive through suction; and it was not without some difficulty that they contrived to remove it, amidst shouts of "Who'll buy my periwinkles-winks-winks-who'll buy?"

But Jenny was neither exhausted nor appeased, and nothing but the appearance of Mr. Forebrace on deck restrained her from further violence. "Yohoy!" exclaimed the First Lieutenant. "Halloo,-what the devil is all this rumpus about? Aye, I see, Jenny Skraggs, as usual. Quartermaster, tell the Cook to bring up his tormentors, and Boasun'sMate stand by to hand the lady into the jolly-boat. She shall cool herself upon the Mew-stone."

The fury of the woman was instantly suppressed, though it was evidently not subdued. The mention of the tormentors she cared nothing about: but to be sent out of the ship before she was paid involved a loss which was not to be endured, and therefore Jenny affected humility, and earnestly implored Mr. Forebrace to recall the order, asserting that all hands had been "playing devil's tricks with her," and as in a short time peace was restored, nothing further was heard of the matter, except a voice now and then crying out, "Who'll buy my winkles ?"

Amidst the skylarking of the people Handsel had not allowed the most trivial duty to be neglected. Everything had been promptly and correctly executed, and the First Lieutenant complimented him upon his vigilance and attention. "But where is the Midshipman of the

watch?" inquired he.

"I understood it was your orders that I was to keep the morning watch, Sir," returned Handsel, who begun to suspect the trick Jemmy had played him.

"But

"No, no; I said nothing about it," replied the Lieutenant. never mind,—it is as well as it is,-you have made capital progress, and I am pleased with it. Let the young gentlemen be turned out."

"Ay, ay, Sir," responded Handsel, and then muttered to himself, "I'll do it myself. Jemmy shall pay for this." And having procured a bucket half full of soap-suds, he cautiously descended the main-ladder. Wright lay upon the collected hammocks which he had dragged close up to the medicine-chest, and being very sound asleep he was not disturbed by Handsel placing the bucket on the chest just above his head. One of Jemmy's legs was drawn up, and the Master's Mate having fastened a piece of spunyarn to the handle of the bucket, secured the other end round Wright's foot; so that on being aroused he would stretch out his leg, and drag the bucket down upon him. Away he went, and then sent the Quartermaster to say "the First Lieutenant wanted them." As Handsel expected, so it exactly occurred, and leaning over the hatchway, he heard Jemmy blowing like a grampus, and saying anything but his morning prayers, whilst the roar from his messmates fully testified that he was revenged.

"I know who has done this," exclaimed Jemmy, rising up from the deck, his head frothed with the suds, and the water running down his shoulders. "It's too bad anyhow; but never mind, I'll square the yards with you yet." And taking Handsel's sheets, he unceremoniously used them by way of towels to dry himself; and because Sugarsop laughed at him, he had the saturated linen dabbed into his face.

"I'll complain to the First Lieutenant, if you do that again, Wright," said Sugarsop, excessively mortified.

"Thanky," returned Jemmy, repeating the operation; "I'm always happy to be brought under the notice of my superiors; and if you will do me the favour, I shall be eternally indebted to you, Would you like a little more?"

"No, no," responded Sugarsop, endeavouring to avoid the infliction; "only let me alone, and I will never say a word about it."

"That's ungrateful too," uttered Jemmy; "but you are all alike; not a spark of gratitude in the human heart. There's Handsel-" "And what have you got to say about Handsel ?" demanded the Master's-Mate, showing himself in the square of the hatch.

"I'll

"Oh, nothing-nothing very material," answered Jemmy; whisper a word in your ear by-and-by. You know how honest I am in dealing with my creditors: kind sir, I owe you one;" and he bowed in mock salutation.

"What do you mean?" inquired the Master's-Mate, assuming a severity of tone; but instantly laughing at the Midshipman's appearance, he added, "Why, Jemmy, you look as if your clothes had been washed upon your back; have you been taking a swim?"

"Yes, and I have learned to strike out lately," responded Wright, as he sent the empty bucket at Handsel's shins, but the latter avoided it by jumping on to the ladder and running upon deck, and the missile struck Sugarsop, as he was drawing on his boots, and hoped he had got out of harm's way; over went the unfortunate Middy, unconscious of the quarter from which the bucket came, as his back was towards the propeller.

"Pon deck there!" shouted Jemmy Wright; "precious Scarborough warning, or rather no warning at all, you are giving us, sending the buckets down the hatchway after this fashion; you'll be maiming some of us for life."

"Oh, dear! what shall I do?" uttered Sugarsop, deceived by the other's plausible manner. "Oh, dear! my back is almost broke; lend me a hand to get up, Wright-do, there's a good fellow."

"Ah, certainly, my boy," responded Jemmy, taking the youngster's hand, and gently aiding him to rise. "It's too bad to be skulling the buckets about, as if there was no flesh and blood in the ship. I suspect it is some of Handsel's doings, for there he is grinning down the hatchway at us: you may laugh, but you have almost killed poor Sweetlips here; look at him, he's ready to kick the bucket."

I would n't have served you so, Handsel," uttered Sugarsop, in a tone evincing pain both of body and mind; "but you are always up to some mischief with your skylarking."

"If it was my case, I should complain to the First Lieutenant," said Sherwood; "such ungentlemanly conduct does not become the character of an officer, and I am sure it will receive no encouragement from-What more he would have urged was suddenly prevented by the tails of a wet dish-swab catching him right in the face, and stopping his breath. "You will say I did that too, I suppose," exclaimed Handsel, who certainly had nothing to do with the matter, nor, in fact, had anybody else that could be seen, for the person who had thrown it took especial good care to be missing before the Midshipman could clear his eyes.

"I know who it was," roared Sherwood. "This is shameful treatment; but, I say again, I know who it was."

"Which means precisely that you do not know," uttered Jemmy. "But I agree with you that such conduct is unbecoming an officer and a gentleman-provided it was an officer and a gentleman who did it, which admits of strong doubts, because, if he had been an officer and a gentleman, he would n't have done it. Here, wipe your face," and he handed him one of Handsel's sheets, "whilst I lay down the law of the case to you."

"Come, avast there, Jemmy," said Black, making his appearance from abaft, although he had gone up the fore-hatchway upon deck. "Avast there, let's have none of your law; you think because your father's a Judge that you must know everything."

"No, not everything, my boy, only the law," answered Wright; "and as Sherwood has been villanously damnified, I want to point out to him in what respect he has been injured."

"There's not much occasion for that, Jemmy," returned Black; "look at his muzzle and you'll find it

"Oh, Black enough, no doubt," interrupted Wright, giving his messmate a sly look but full of meaning, as he shrewdly suspected that the swab had come from his hands. "But what says the Articles of War? If any Flag-Officer

"You may spare yourself any further trouble, Wright," said the mortified and angry Sherwood; "I know the proper course to pursue for redress. Irons," (the marine who attended him,) "give me my coat, cocked hat, and dirk; I will lay a formal complaint, and see what Mr. Forebrace will say to it."

"And pray tell him that you would n't turn out for the middle watch," said Black. "How's your incipient fever-eh, my boy?"

"Are you going on leave, Mr. Sherwood," inquired Ben Irons, as he took the articles which had been ordered out of the chest, and rubbed down the coat with his hands to take out the wrinkles.

"No; I am not going on leave," returned the Midshipman, as he turned to have his garment put on.

"Then, what do you want with your full uniform, Sir ?" asked Irons; "there's trouble enough to keep 'em clean without sporting long togs on a washing-day."

"In my last ship, under a Vice-Admiral's flag, no officer was allowed to make a formal complaint without being in full uniform. It is a good regulation, and I shall do it here, unless ordered to discontinue it," explained the Mid.

A laugh followed this announcement; but a louder sound rose above it from the deck-it was the Boatswain's-Mate's pipe, loud and piercing, which was followed by a stentorian voice, shouting, "Small cutters away!" There was a scrambling up the hatchways by the boat's crew, and then Wright inquired whether the Mid "wished to tender a written complaint ?"

"It is not necessary," said Sherwood, lingering, as he smoothed the beaver of his cocked hat, for the thought crossed him that probably he should go to leeward, as he was not now in an Admiral's ship; but ashamed of receding, as he had gone so far, he belted on his dirk, put on his scraper, and ascended to the quarter-deck, where the First Lieutenant, without shoes or stockings, was hurrying from aft, and catching sight of the Midshipman in full fig, he exclaimed

"That's right, Mr. Sherwood, I am glad to see you so much on the alert this morning; jump into the small cutter, Sir, and go with Mr. Pinchandscrew to the Victualling Office."

Sherwood approached Forebrace, respectfully touching the peaked corner of his cocked hat-" I beg pardon, Sir, I wished to

“Ask for leave, I suppose," added the Lieutenant, stopping short in his walk. "No, no, no !—ship's duty must be done, Sir: I was giving you more credit than you deserve it seems. Jump into the boat, Sir; the Purser is alongside waiting for you. Bear a hand, and don't stand mumbling there like an alligator over a dead seapoy. You flag-ship Midshipmen are devilish slack in stays: away over the gangway, Sir, in a moment, or shin up to the mast-head."

Poor Sherwood had stood bowing and scraping, earnestly desirous of squeezing in a word, but he could not accomplish it even edgewise. The very mention of the mast-head, however, decided him, and hurrying over the side, the intended complainant entered the cutter, which immediately shoved off; and, as they pulled under the bows, he had the additional misery to hear Jemmy on the forecastle, exclaiming

"You see, the law of the case is this-any person in or belonging to the Fleet, being an officer and a gentleman, that shall act unbecoming the character of an officer and a gentleman, such officer and gentleman, being proved to be no gentleman though an officer'

Here he was interrupted by Handsel calling out, "More wet swabs : bear a hand, or I'll make a formal complaint of some of you." Now, as this was not addressed directly to any one in the boat, the Purser took no notice of it, and poor Sherwood uttered not a word.

By seven bells, the hammocks were all secured to the gantlines; the washed clothes were regularly arranged on the lines between the fore main and mizen shrouds, rising line above line; and the command being given, in little more than a minute the whole were fluttering aloft in the light breeze; the decks were cleared and rinsed over; the hammocks were lashed up and stowed; and exactly at eight o'clock, Mr. Silverlungs, the Boatswain, in harmony with his Mates, "piped to breakfast."

Sugarsop had just come upon the quarter-deck to relieve Handsel, when the gun-room Steward stepped up to the latter, and politely bowing, said, "The officers of the gun-room's compliments, and will be happy to see Mr. Handsel to breakfast."

66

My compliments, and I'll attend with much pleasure," replied the Master's-Mate. "And now, Sugarsop, I leave you in charge of the deck keep a good look-out, and mind the ship does not fall overboard, d'ye hear ?"

"Yes, Handsel, I hear; but is there really any danger of her falling overboard?" uttered the Midshipman seriously.

"Why, not any immediate danger," returned the Master's-Mate, with a steady countenance; "but the false keel has got fore-and-aft, and they've discovered a hole in the well; the heel of the foremast has got a step; and all these things require to be well looked after. So, mind your eye, my boy, and no boats to be allowed alongside." He dived below, combed and brushed his hair, whipped on a half-dirty shirt, clean white stockings, and well-polished shoes, mounted a white waistcoat and neat blue jacket, and then proceeded to the gun-room.

REMINISCENCES OF A LIGHT DRAGOON.

No. XVIII.

[Continued from No. 166, page 95.]

PARIS AND ITS ENVIRONS.

On the 7th of July intelligence reached us that Paris had capitulated, and shortly afterwards the order arrived to march in the direction of the capital. It was not, however, my fortune to witness or participate in the triumphal entrance which our columns made, for, with twentyseven more mounted men-of all nations, and belonging to all corpsI was detached to protect the Château of Bagatelle, in the Bois de Boulogne, where the Duke de Berri resided. It was a charming place, with a park, gardens, terraces, a sheet of water, a Venetian bridge, artificial rocks and grottoes, and hermitages innumerable. Neither, except on the score of hard duty, had we much to complain of, seeing that the Duke allowed for our daily use twelve bottles of Burgundy, besides giving us a kitchen garden, whence at pleasure we might supply our table with vegetables and fruit. But as the rations both for men and horses were distributed only in Paris, the fatigue of fetching them from a point so distant proved often trying enough, especially as our duty required us every evening to patrol by reliefs round the grounds, from sunset till after sunrise on the following morning. Nor, indeed, were these precautions unnecessary. A large encampment had been formed in the wood, from which marauders came forth at all hours, whom nothing except the display of our scarlet belts hindered from reducing the Duke's well-kept pleasure grounds, to the state of a howling wilderness.

I shall never forget the impression that was made upon me the first time I visited Paris. Such a spectacle as the French capital exhibited then, will not, in all human probability come, at least for a while, under the observation of my readers; wherefore I would gladly describe it in detail, could I hope by any power of language to do justice to the subject, but that I feel to be impossible. Of the Champs Elysées, with its noble avenues, its stately trees, and its triumphal arch, I need not say any thing. They, as well as the Palace of the Tuilleries, the Place de Concorde, and all the streets and squares adjacent were, I dare say, pretty much what the traveller who visits Paris in 1842, will find them. But the interminable encampments and bivouacs which overspread themthe countless rows of huts which everywhere crowded upon the eye-the unceasing noise of drums, trumpets, clarions, and other musical instruments-the hubbub of voices which assailed you, as men of all nations conversed or sported together: these things together with the passing and repassing of thousands of men and women, as if some huge ant-hill had been disturbed, and instead of ants, human beings came forth from its recesses, created altogether such a scene as cannot be conceived unless it has been seen, and is never seen twice in any man's life-time. For myself I was perfectly astounded, and rode on, with difficulty succeeding to persuade myself that the whole was other than a dream.