Mr. Midshipman Easy

ero proves tha

y sacrifice d

in not submitting to, and meeting, Vigors when he had hardly recovered from his severe prostration of sea-sickness, had gained him with the many respect, and with all, except his antagonist and Mr Smallsole, good-will. Instead of being laughed at by his messmates, he was played with; for Jolliffe smiled at his absurdities, and attempted to reason him out of them, and the others liked Jack for himself and his generosity, an

excited the admiration of the butcher of the ship, who had been a pugilist by profession. Thus did Jack at once take the rank of an oldster, and soon became the leader of all the mischief. We particularly observe this, because, had it so happened that our hero had succumbed to

e about the rights of man. And here Mr Asper did good without intending it, for, at the same time that he appeared to agree with J

oose his friends where he liked, and despised that power of annoyance which the service permitted. Of course, Jack and Mr Asper were good friends,

stle, talking with Mesty, with whom he had contracted a great friendship, for there was nothing that Mesty would not hav

he had been sold as a slave twice; he had escaped-but he found that the universal feeling was strong agains

ty, he had no ideas of equality; no one has who is in power: but he had been schooled; and although people talked of liberty and equality at New York, he found that what

e sentiments boldly expressed from the lips of Jack, and that in a service where it was almost tantamount to mutiny. Mesty, whose character is not yet developed, immediately took a fondness for our hero, and in a hundred ways s

appointed was paid off, he had been ordered to join H.M. sloop Harpy. Jack's conversation with Mesty was interrupted by the voice of the boatswain, who was haranguing his boy. "It's now ten minutes, sir, by my repeater," said the boatswain, "that I have sent for you"; and Mr Biggs pulle

repeater?" inquir

ew, "only tell the minutes and hours

d, although many had told him it was no repeater

swain, "it's ten minutes and

changing my trousers when you sent for me

ou are sent for by your officer, trousers or no

sers, sir?" r

me, I should come without my shirt. Duty before dec

are not going to punish that boy for

en minutes and twenty seconds because a boy has no trousers on." Whereupon the boatswain administered several smart cuts with his rattan upon the boy, proving that it was quite as well that he had put on

r day he haul out de weather ear-ring, and touch him

ball given by the officers of the garrison on that evening, and a polite invitation was sent to the officers of H.M. sloop Harpy. As those who accepted the invitation would be detained late, it was not possible for them to come off

r the ball, which was very brilliant, and, from the company of the officers, very pleasant. Captain Wilson looked on at the commencement, and then returned on board. Jack behaved with his usual politeness, danced till two o'clock, and then, as the ball thinned, Asper proposed that they should retire. Having once more applied to the refreshment-room, they had procured their hats, and were about to depart, when one of the officers of the garrison asked Jack if he would like t

rd was obliged to put his company into double and treble-bedded rooms; but this was of little consequence. Jack was shown into a

asleep. At six o'clock he was called, as he had requested, and proceeded to dress, but to his astonishment found the window thrown open and his trousers missing. It was evident, that his partner in the room had thrown the window open during th

icer were to be obeyed, with or without garments. I know he is obliged to be on board, and now he shall try how he likes to obey orders in his shirt tails. So cogitating, Jack took the trousers of the boatswain, who still snored, although he had been called, and putting them on, completed the rest of his dress, and quitted the room. He went to that of Mr Asper, where he found him just ready, and, having paid the bill-for Asper had for

f. Not finding his trousers, he rang the bell, supposing that they had been taken down to be brushed, and, in the meantime, put on everything else, that he might lose no time: the waiter who answered the bell, denied having taken the trousers out of the room, and poor Mr Biggs was in a sad quandary. What had become of them, he could not tell: he had no recollection of having

e bill by the waiter, and stated that, for a deposit, the gentleman might have a pair of trousers. The boatswain felt in his pockets and remembered that all his money was in his

k to his heels, and with his check shirt tails streaming in the wind, ran as hard as he could to where the boat was waiting to receive him. He was encountered by many, but he only ran the faster the more they jeered, and, at last, arrived breathless at his goal, flew down the steps, jumped in

eather was so warm that none of them had brought a pea-jacket. The boatswai

is that?" inquir

replied

ll have the kindness to lend i

held the anticipated fun: "recollect I asked you for a fishing-line, when we were becalmed off Cape St Vincent,

give you three lines,

boat was laid alongside-the relentless Gascoigne caught up his boat-cloak as the other officers rose to go on board, and rolling it up, in spite of the earnest entreaties of Mr Biggs, tossed it into the main c

st boat," cried Mr Sawbridge; "be as smart as

in this boat, and

do you sit there for, Mr Biggs?-you'll oblige me by showing a little more activity, or, by

oat just as he was, and touched his hat as he passed the first

t tails fluttering in the sea breeze; but Mr Sawbridge could not contain himself any longer; he ran down the ship ladder which led on the quarter-deck, choked

ing to the gangway. "Duty before decency,"

rious look at Jack, as he touched his hat to the

ow felt that a trick had been played him, and also that our hero must have been the party, but he could prove nothing; he coul

oy-and Gascoigne and Jack never got any fishing-tackle. The boatswain was as obnoxious to the men as Vigors, and in consequence of Jack's known opinions upon the rights of man, and his ha