Channel, I'll bind you as apprentices for three years. Will you agree to that?'

"The boys said 'yes,' and the captain told them that he should sail the next morning about daylight, and that they must be down at the pier by that time; so they went back again to their mother, and said nothing about what had passed. There was no supper that night, which confirmed them in their resolution; they kissed their mother, and went up to bed, packed up all their clothes, and before she was down stairs the next morning they were on board of the vessel.

"Well, they were duly apprenticed when the ship arrived at Weymouth, and then off they went. The other men on board were, as usual, very much afraid of being pressed, and every plan was hit upon for stowing away when they were boarded by a man-of-war. Well, time passed, and after many voyages they had both nearly served their time; they were tall, stout young men, and looked older than they really were. At last, one day, when off the Western Isles, they were boarded by a frigate, and the officer who came in the boat asked Archy what he was, and he replied he was an apprentice. "You an apprentice!' cried he, that won't do.' "But here are the indentures.'

"All forged,' cried the officer; 'just get into the boat, my lad.' (You see that's a very common trick of officers; if a boy's grown up and fit for service, they don't care about indentures.) Well, Archy found it was of no use; so he gets his kit and steps into the boat, shaking hands with Andrew, who was shedding tears at the thoughts of parting with his brother.

"It's no use crying, Andrew,' says he; I might

have been second mate in three months, as the captain promised me, when my time was up, and then I should have been protected, and might have risen from mate to captain; but now it's all over with me. May you have better luck, and I hope the captain will give you the berth instead of me.' Well, away went Archy on board of the man-of-war, looking very gloomy as you may suppose. When he went aft on the quarter-deck, the captain asked him his name, and where he came from.

and

"Ah!' said the captain, and who are your friends?' So Archy told him that he had only his mother left. The captain asked him a good many more questions as to whether he had been educated or not, and what he knew; and then rated him A.B., put him into the main top. Well, Archy remained there for about six months, and found that a man-ofwar was not so bad a place after all; and he was well treated by the captain and officers, the more so as he was a good scholar. After the cruise was over, the frigate ran into the Channel, and anchored in Portland Roads, where there were a great many vessels windbound. As usual, they sent round to press the men. Now Archy was one of those sent in the boats, and by this time, being a man-of-war's man all over, he was just as eager to get the men as the others were. They boarded several vessels, and got some men; about dark they boarded one which laid well in the offing. The captain was not on board, and the men were turned up, but they were very few, and all protected. Now Archy, who was up to the hiding-places on board a merchant vessel, goes down with his cutlass, and

crawls about in the dark, until at last he gets hold of a man by the heels. 'Come out, you thief,' cries he, 'come out directly, or I'll give you an inch of my cutlass; so the man, finding that he could not help himself, backs out, stern foremost. Archy collars him, and takes him on deck, when who should it prove to be but his own brother Andrew!

"Oh, Archy, Archy! I didn't think this of you.'

66 6

Well, Andrew, I didn't know it was you, but there's no help for it; you must come and serve in the main top along with me, and give up all chance of being a mate or captain of a merchant vessel. We're in bad luck, that's clear; but it can't be helped.' There was a good laugh on board of the man-of-war at Archy pressing his own brother, and the captain was very much amused. 'I'm very sorry for it,' said Archy.

"Now the captain was short of midshipmen, and, being obliged to sail immediately, ho determined to put Archy on the quarter-deck, and so he did, while Andrew served in the main top. But this did not last long; the captain, who liked Andrew quite as well, and who knew their family and connections, put Andrew also on the quarter-deck: and what was the consequence? Why, they are now both post captains, commanding fine frigates; so you see, going on board of a man-of-war, which they conceived as their ruin, was the means of their rising to rank and riches, for they have been very lucky in the service. I heard Captain Archibald tell the story himself one day, as I helped at dinner in the cabin, when I was coxswain with Sir Hercules."

"Well, father, that's a good story to the point; but I do not see that I ever have any chance of being a post captain."

"Don't seem much like it, certainly; but you've a good chance of being a pilot."

"Yes, that I certainly have; and a pilot is always respected, go on board what ship he may."

"To be sure he is; because he is supposed to have more knowledge than any one on board."

"Then I am contented, father, with the prospect of being respectable; so there's an end of that business, except that I must write and thank the captain for his kindness."

"Just so, Tom; do you dine with me?"

"No, father. I promised to meet Bramble at the Jolly Sailors. We are going up to Mr. Wilson's."

"Ay, about the farm he wants to buy. Well, the clock is striking, so good-bye till this evening."

I must explain to the reader that Mr. Wilson, having heard of Bramble's intention to purchase the farm, very kindly interfered. He had a son who was a solicitor at Dover, and he recommended Bramble not to appear personally, but let his son manage the affair for him, which he promised should be done without expense. The next morning Bramble and I took our leave and quitted Greenwich, taking the coach to Dover; for Bramble, having a good deal of money in his pocket, thought it better to do so than to wait till he could take a ship down the river. On our arrival at Dover, we called upon Mr. Wilson's son, who had already made inquiries, and eventually obtained the farm for Bramble for two hundred pounds less than he

expected to give for it, and, very handsomely, only charged him for the stamps of the conveyance. When we arrived at Deal, we found Mrs. Maddox quite recovered, and sitting with little Bessy in the parlour below. After Mrs. Maddox and Bessy went upstairs to bed, Bramble said to me, as he knocked the ashes out of his pipe,

"Tom, I've got this farm for Bessy for two hundred pounds less than I expected to give for it; now, I've been thinking about this two hundred pounds, which I consider, in a manner, as her property; and what d'ye think I mean to do with it?-I'll tell you-I'll give her education as well as money. This sum will keep her at a good school for a matter of four years, and I've made up my mind that she shall go. I don't like to part with her, that's certain; but it's for her good— so all's right-don't you think so?"

"I do indeed, father," replied I. "I shall miss her as much as you do; but, as you say, it's all right; and I'm very glad that you have SO decided."

CHAPTER XXXII.

IN WHICH THERE IS A HOP, SKIP, AND A JUMP.

LIFE has often, and with great truth, been compared to a river. In infancy a little rill, gradually increasing to the pure and limpid brook, which winds throngh flowery meads, "giving a gentle kiss to every ridge it overtaketh in its pilgrimage." Next it increases in its volume and its power, now rushing rapidly, now moving