"Shall I tell Tom?"
"Whisper it to him, and warn him to be reticent."
Toney whispered to Tom, who nodded his head and seemed to comprehend.
"You lying lubbers!" said the mate, coming forward, followed by the sailors. "Telling your yarns about a hog in the——"
Here there was a succession of loud squeals from the masthead. The hog seemed to be in great agony. The sailors fled to the stern, and the mate rushed into the captain's cabin. The captain came forward. The squeals were louder and more prolonged. The mate trembled and turned pale.
"What is it?" said the captain.
"The cook killed a hog and hung it alongside his galley, and the devil has carried it up there!" said the mate, pointing to the masthead.
"The devil is in the habit of getting into hogs," said Toney.
"He once got into a whole herd of swine," said Tom.
"There is Scripture for that," said the mate.