“That’s a very old saying, that every little helps. I did not think of it at the time; but, you see, as we were clearing the lighter, almost all the men were on the larboard side, and that must have brought the ship down still more to port. Then, again, the water was not so smooth as it was when we first careened her, and it began to wash into the lower deck ports, and of course had no escape, so that there was very soon a good weight of water in the lower deck. There were mice in the ship, and they were disturbed by the water entering into their quarters, and the men were catching them, and laughing as they swam about, little thinking that it was to be a general swim so shortly afterwards. But the carpenter was the first that perceived that there was danger; for again, you see, the casks of rum, hoisted in, and lying on the decks on the larboard side, before it could be lowered into the hold, made also a difference; and so the carpenter went on the deck to the lieutenant, who was officer of the watch, requesting that he would be pleased to order the ship to be righted somewhat, as she could not bear it; but the lieutenant gave a very short answer to the carpenter, who then went down below.”
“Who was the lieutenant on deck?” inquired Anderson.
“I don’t recollect his right name—he was, I think, the third lieutenant—he went by the name of ‘Jib and Foresail Jack,’ for, whenever he had the watch, he did nothing but up jib, and down jib, up foresail, down foresail, every five minutes, always worrying the men for nothing. He was not considered as a good officer, but a very troublesome one. He had a knack of twisting and moving his fingers about as he walked the deck, and the men were wont to say that ‘he must have been a forty piany teacher.’”
“And where were the captain and first lieutenant?” said Anderson. “The first lieutenant was at the time busy in the wings, I believe; and as for the captain, I don’t know where he was—but, you know, a captain seldom interferes in harbour.”
“Where was the admiral?” inquired Ben.
“The admiral was in his cabin. I saw the barber, who had been in to shave him, come out just before she went down.”
“What sort of man was the admiral?” said Anderson.
“He was a thin tall man, upwards of seventy years of age, and he stooped a good deal in his walk.”
“Whet your whistle, Jim,” said Ben, “for this is a long yarn.”
“Well,” continued Turner, as soon as he had put down his pot, “the carpenter came up a second time on the quarter-deck to the lieutenant, and said to him,—