with which he vas threatened by the commodore, who little dreamt
that the whole affair had been planned and executed by Peregrine
and his associates.

The next enterprise in which this triumvirate engaged, was a scheme
to frighten Trunnion with an apparition, which they prepared and
exhibited in this manner: to the hide of a large ox, Pipes fitted
a leathern vizor of a most terrible appearance, stretched on the
jaws of a shark, which he had brought from sea, and accommodated
with a couple of broad glasses instead of eyes. On the inside of
these he placed two rushlights, and, with a composition of sulphur
and saltpetre, made a pretty large fusee, which he fixed between
two rows of the teeth. This equipage being finished, he, one dark
night chosen for the purpose, put it on, and, following the commodore
into a long passage, in which he was preceded by Perry with a light
in his hand, kindled his firework with a match, and began to bellow
like a bull. The boy, as it was concerted, looked behind him,
screamed aloud, and dropped the light, which was extinguished in
the fall; when Trunnion, alarmed at his nephew's consternation,
exclaimed, "Zounds! what's the matter?" and turning about to see
the cause of his dismay, beheld a hideous phantom vomiting blue
flame, which aggravated the horrors of its aspect. He was instantly
seized with an agony of fear, which divested him of his reason:
nevertheless, he, as it were mechanically, raised his trusty
supporter in his own defence, and, the apparition advancing towards
him, aimed it at this dreadful annoyance with such a convulsive
exertion of strength, that had not the blow chanced to light upon
one of the horns Mr. Pipes would have had no cause to value himself
upon his invention. Misapplied as it was, he did not fail to stagger
at the shock; and, dreading another such salutation, closed with