til they all wished Sall's shoe at Old Nick and her to, and Bill in the bargain. At last one of the boys picks it out of the manger, where it had lain all the night, poked up and down by the noses of the pigs, who didn't think it eatable, although it might have smelt human-like; the fact was, it was the boy who had picked up Sall's shoe when she dropped it, and had shied it forward. It sartainly did not seem to be worth all the trouble, but howsomever it was faken aft by the master-at-arms, and laid on the capstern head. Then Bill steps out, and takes the shoe before the first lieutenant, and cuts it open, and from between the lining pulls out four ten-pound notes, which Sall had sewn up there by way of security; and the first lieutenant tells Bill he was a great fool to trust his money in the shoe of a woman who always went slipshod, and tells him to go about his business, and stow his money away in a safer place next

time. A'ter, if any thing was better than it

looked to be, the ship's company used always to say it was like Sall's shoe. There you have it

all."

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'Well," says Stapleton, taking the pipe out of his mouth, "I know a fact, much of a muchness with that, which happened to me when I was below the river tending a ship at Sheerness

for at one time, d'ye see, I used to ply there. She was an old fifty-gun ship, called the Adamant, if I recollect right. One day, the first lieutenant, who, like your'n, was a mighty par ticular sort of chap, was going round the maindeck, and he sees an old pair of canvass trowsers stowed in under the trunnion of one of the guns. So, says he, whose be these?" Now no man would answer, because they knowed very well that it would be as good as a fortnight in the black list. With that the first lieutenant bundles them out of the port, and

away they floats astern with the tide.

It was

about half an hour after that, that I comes off with the milk for the wardroom mess, and a man, named Will Heaviside, says to me, 'Stapleton,' says he, the first lieutenant has thrown ny canvass trowser soverboard, and be d-d to him; now I must have them back.' But where be they?' says I, I suppose down at the bottom, by this time, and the flat fish dubbing their noses into them.' 'No, no,' says he, they won't never sink, but float till eternity; they be gone down with the tide, and they will come back again, only you keep a sharp look out for them, and I'll give you five shillings if you bring them.' Well, I seed little chance of ever seeing them again, or of my seeing five shillings, but as it so happened next tide, the very 'denticle trowsers comes up staring me in the face. I pulls them in, and takes them to Will Heaviside, who appears to be mightily pleased, and

gives me the money. I wouldn't have lost them for ten, no, not for twenty pounds,' says he. 'At all events you've paid me more than they are worth,' says I. 'Have I?' says he, 'stop a bit;' and he outs with his knife, and rips open the waistband, and pulls out a piece of linen, and out of the piece of linen he pulls out a child's caul. There,' says he, 'now you knows why the trowsers wouldn't sink, and I'll leave you to judge whether they ar❜n't worth five shillings.' That's my story."

"Well, I can't understand how it is, that a caul should keep people up," observed old Tom. "At all events, a call makes people come up fast enough on board a man-of-war, father." "That's true enough, but I'm talking of a child's caul, not of a boatswain's, Tom."

"I'll just tell you how it is,” replied Stapleton, who had recommenced smoking; "it's human natur."

"What is your opinion, sir ?" said Mary, to

the Domine.

"Maiden," replied the Domine, taking his pipe out of his mouth, "I opine that it's a vulgar error. Sir Thomas Brown, I think it is, hath the same idea; many and strange were the superstitions which have been handed down by our less enlightened ancestors-all of which mists have been cleared away by the powerful rays of truth."

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'Well, but, master, if a vulgar error saves a man from Davy Jones's locker, ar'n't it just as well to sew it up in the waistband of your trowsers ?"

66

Granted, good Dux, if it would save a man; but how is it possible? it is contrary to the first elements of science."

"What matter does that make, provided it holds a man up?"

"Friend Dux, thou art obtuse."