low growling tone of voice, a repetition of oaths and imprecations,
for the space of four-and-twenty hours, without ceasing. This
was a delicious meal to the lieutenant, who, eager to enhance the
pleasure of the entertainment, and at the same the conduce to the
success of the cause he had espoused, invented a stratagem, the
execution of which had all the effect he could desire. He prevailed
on Pipes, who was devoted to his service, to get on the top of the
chimney, belonging to the commodore's chamber, at midnight, and
lower down by a rope a bunch of stinking whitings, which being
performed, he put a speaking-trumpet to his mouth, and hallooed
down the vent, in a voice like thunder, "Trunnion! Trunnion! turn
out and be spliced, or he still and be d--."

This dreadful note, the terror of which was increased by the silence
and darkness of the night, as well as the cello of the passage
through which it was conveyed, no sooner reached the ears of the
astonished commodore, than turning his eyes towards the place from
whence this solemn address seemed to proceed, he beheld a glittering
object that vanished in an instant. Just as his superstitious
fear had improved the apparition into some supernatural messenger
clothed in shining array, his opinion was confirmed by a sudden
explosion, which he took for thunder, though it was no other than
the noise of a pistol fired down the chimney by the boatswain's
mate, according to the instructions he had received; and he had
time enough to descend before he was in any danger of being detected
by his commodore, who could not for an hour recollect himself from
the amazement and consternation which had overpowered his faculties.

At length, however, he got up, and rang his bell with great agitation.
He repeated the summons more than once; but no regard being paid