And, grinning, Reuben delightedly holds the stirrup to assist Mr. Hotspur into the saddle. The latter is soon up, and gathering his reins, attached to one of "those useless Pelhams," begins to make acquaintance with his "mount." At first he is disappointed. The shoulders look almost heavy in front of him, and the young one seems to put his legs anywhere and everywhere without the slightest regard to hand or heel. His walk is loose and straggling, his trot and canter little better, till, turning his head homewards, Hotspur shakes him into a gallop.

"He'll do !" mutters the equestrian to himself, as he feels the strong lengthy strides smooth and easy, all the propelling power beneath his saddle, and knees and shoulders stretching away in front of him. His other paces will come with tuition; but Hotspur knows galloping cannot be taught. He likes the young one so well, that he sends him at the fence bounding the enclosure; and although he takes off a great deal too soon, and lands a great deal further than is necessary, it is obvious that the grey possesses spring as well as speed. From that moment he is Hotspur's horse.

They go back to the gin-and-water to consummate the deal. Farmer Bull takes three-fourths of what he asks, and the grey horse goes home to Mr. Hotspur's stable, to begin his education, and learn the way he should go.

ERNEST ATHERLEY;

OR, SCENES AT HOME AND ABROAD.

BY LORD WILLIAM LENNOX.

CHAP. XII.

""Tis so ridiculous, but so true withal,
A bully cannot sleep without a brawl."
DRYDEN.

"For those that fly may fight again,
Which he can never do that's slain."
Hudibras,

The Bully punished-Duel in the Cable Tier-Surgical Operations-Result of the Affair.

I now come to an eventful era of my life; but, before I enter upon my Canadian experiences, I look with singular pleasure over the many pages of my journal filled to overflowing with anecdotes and occurrences which it now strikes me as most marvellous to have come under my observation in the space of one fortnight, and with many transactions in which circumstances-regard for a cousin the most prominent, probably the love of fun, strong upon me then, induced, led, or almost compelled me to take part. I have passed them over, because "Logs"

of one ship," Cruizes" of another, "Scenes in the Cockpit" of a third, and novels of all degrees up to a high number, have repeated usque ad nauseam, similar events; materials for which were never wanting with a fleet like ours, of over one thousand pendants, and still no doubt are to be witnessed in the cockpit of every man-of-war in the service, in the steerage of every frigate or sloop, in most ward-rooms and gun-rooms. In every ship which, like the Rokeby, could boast of messmates, gentleman-like as well as jolly, a wag or a sea wit or two, and a good "butt" in the shape of an idler, neither ward-rooms nor gun-rooms lacked amusement; but in the berth of the "mids," where, if there were two or three tolerably steady, the rest were sure to be a lively, frolicksome set of youngsters, mischievous as monkeys, playful as kittens, with wits sharp and always wary, there is never wanting incident for an observer like myself, determined to be industrious in noting down all I could collect. Marryat has so well told similar events, and they are become so stale, that I pass over most, but one or two I cannot resist giving. I dwell not on many which I took part in the frequent wearing of cocked hats to mark the last dealer at whist, amidst noise, tricks, and roars of laughter from ourselves, irresistible bursts, however anxious we might be to be serious, so as not only to recollect that one's partner was not one's opponent, but also what cards were trumps. I dwell not on cutting down hammocks, in which I myself had on one occasion a hand against that mischievous cousin of mine, who had more than once made me the laughing-stock of the General, Captain, and all the quarter-deck, by pretending to teach me to give the word of command in tacking ship, having previously blackened the trumpet all round the mouth-piece, and with the clearly-marked impression of which (mustachios and imperials not being then so general as now) I went on deck; and a second time by pinning to my jacket-tail the very dirtiest knife-cloth that the filthiest of stewards, in the worst-ordered of midshipmen's berths, ever used, and going in it to dine with the Captain, ay, and sitting on it too, albeit I had the same silk-covered chair I treated so ill before, and which the General called mine. I dwell not on the games of able whackets, in which I was initiated with more force than was agreeable to my softer hands. But I cannot resist my notices of a duel-not a three-cornered one, like that so inimitably told by the author of " Peter Simple," but one which actually did take place, showing, I opine, in most clear colours, the stuff that the animal bully is made of ; for, be it known, the Rokeby's youngsters had in a midshipman of some standing, as far as years went, an animal of that sort to deal with, and there is seldom a mess or a school without one. He had, for some reason which is unimportant, quarrelled with Sims, who was the best of good fellows, his senior in age, and seniority of rating. He challenged Sims to fight with pistols for having pummelled him well with fists. The flustering hero vowed he would have the youngster out directly we arrived at Quebec.

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Why not here?" asked one of the oldsters.

"Ah, why not?" responded Bully, knowing it was unlikely to come off on board.

The wink was passed to Sims, who, catching the idea immediately, said

"Why not? Be it so, in the cable tier!"

Away went one of the youngsters for pistols, which were brought with a cartouch box into the Captain's clerk's berth, where others soon followed to hold a consultation. I happened to come down to see my hopeful cousin, and was called in and told what was going on.

"Frank Cornwallis," said a larking "middy," "is in the foretop; but whether he has gone aloft to reef that sail, or has taken a hatchet with him to cut the clouds for to make the wind blow, I don't exactly know."

I looked somewhat surprised at this piece of nautical information, when the youth, who was brimful of merriment, continued

"But you had better, captain, bring yourself to an anchor; and suppose you take this pin to prick for a soft board to sit upon!

"Less chaff, you audacious radical! and go and call Sims," said a more sedate messmate.

Sims soon appeared, when he was shown two cork balls, beautifully cut, and so well black-leaded that no one could tell them from the real ones that rolled about in a saucer on the table with the ship's motion. It was now settled that the joke should be carried on, and bets ran high that Curtle-for I must give him a name-would not come to the scratch, or, if he did, that he would run before the word was given. Two were appointed to load the pistols; only half a charge was to be put in, so that the noise might not be heard on deck-an unnecessary precaution, as the ship was going fast, and the sea highish and noisy. We all went into the midshipman's berth, where Curtle and all hands took their seats. A solemn discussion began on the enormity and consequence of duelling. Curtle cared not: he had been insulted, and had made up his mind to receive satisfaction. "But," said the Doctor (a Scotchman),

mon.

"think of the saarveece,

Sic a thing never before took place at sea. "Ah!" responded Curtle, "you want to stop it ;" and believing fully it would be stopped-" but I say no. My honour is concerned :

have it out I will."

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Then," exclaimed Sims, "bear witness, all of you! I was challenged, called a coward. If I fall, or he falls by my hand, it is through his act. Give me a sheet of paper."

Seizing a somewhat stumpy pen and a greasy slip of foolscap, he wrote rapidly, saying at the same time

"Load the pistols. The sooner all is over the better." Then folding the letter, handed it to the Doctor's mate, who promised that his requests should be attended to.

With great formality preparations were made for loading the pistols. "Wrap the bullets in flannel," said Sims; paper may light, and get between the coils of the cable. But first blow them off, to make sure they are clean."

That done, the loading commenced, and in due time was completed. I, trembling lest a mistake should be made, rendered surety doubly sure by taking the half-dozen leaden balls one after the other out of the saucer, putting them in my pocket, and remarking

"We may want these presently."

Curtle for the first time looked "dashed."

Doctor," interrupted the Clerk, "have you brought your tourni

quets?"

Doctor Balquidder, as I have said before, was a North Briton, a native of Aberdeenshire, and had more than usual the Scotch accent. The Rokeby was his second ship; he had only been three years at sea. He had been assistant-surgeon of Sir Pulteney Malcolm's flag-ship the Royal Oak, and in that capacity had been sent to assist the army surgeons on board one of the transports, which was conveying the poor fellows that had been wounded at New Orleans to England. There, in half-a-dozen weeks or so, he had seen more of gun-shot and musketwounds than he would have seen for a whole life in an Edinburgh, London, or any other hospital, except perhaps Paris! He was clever in his profession, dry, and a wag withal, entering with great zest into the fun that was going on, as he would have entered into any plot that was intended to annoy the bully who was his especial aversion. He disliked Curtle for many causes, but most of all for taunting him, as a Scot, with the crime of his countrymen for selling King Charley; in which, it must be owned, he was ably assisted by most of the wags of the mess when once it was found that a tender place was established, and how easy it was to raise the Doctor's choler. It would be quite impossible to tell, where so many were speaking at the same time, or in rapid succession, a tithe of what passed on that never-to-be-forgotten occasion, every one chiming in with some dry, witty, or shrewd remark; the whole bearing of which was intended to alarm more and more the bully. Balquidder was the principal actor, and him alone I can attempt to follow, the more particularly so because, whenever he spoke, something to raise the cachinnatory muscles was expected, and he was listened to when no one else had even a chance of getting in a word edgeways.

"Ah, weel! ah, weel! said he, "if wilfu' mon will be wilfu' here as in ane place else, he must e'en ha' his way. All that we puir mortals can do is to tak' heed that we do our ain duties on the melancholy occasion. Where's the gilly? Gang and tell the loblolly boy to bring a laarge basin of warm water, the laarge and the wee sponges, and that in all human probabeelity I shall stand in need o' his assistance. Will ane o' you younkers just bring me my marking irons. You ken the box-mahogany, bound in brass; it stands in the dispensary." Away flew one of them.

"It's a'maist a pity I did nae buy a fu' surgeon's case; that ane cost me seventeen poonds ten shillings, besides the carriage, and fiveand-sixpence for a leather case t'it, and one-and-twapence for a box to pit it in, twapence more than was right. The fu' surgeon's wud ha' cost just feeve poonds mair; but poonds were nae so plenty-the journey fra Aberdeen considered all the way to Portsmouth, where I joined; so after joining seventeen poonds sixteen and eightpence, just cleaned me oot, for little did I think I had to find my ain instruments to cut up his Majesty's lieges, but they told me 'twas the reegulations, so I hope the laddy won't drop it."

Here the case was brought.

As the Doctor took off the leather coating, and applied the key to unlock it, he proceeded

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To think that a' those tools that ha' done sic saarveece "-taking out the two blades of saws, and commencing to screw the handle on the largest, wiping the ointment off with a piece of rag-"just at the finish o' a' bluidy war, should noo be wanted, mair than likely, in consequence o' a feud between mon and mon: now, in time o' peace, just too after

the teeth ha' been set after o'er mickle practice in that abominable transport, where I experienced banyan-days enough to last for a life. I'd thank ye, gentlemen, just to keep your mou's a wee bit further fra the instruments; your breath contains moisture more or less, althy in this murky place it's nae veesible."

Balquidder here carefully laid the saw, now with its handle on, down, and taking out a probe, about seven or eight inches in length, soliloquized as follows

You, too, my trusty probe! mony and mony was the bullet you found after that awfu' affair, New Orleans! laarge ones, too, some o' them were. The Yankees, I was told, were ower fond o' rifles; but I can tell you they ha' muskets with large bores enew, after all, if not too large a ba' of decent dimensions is nae so dangerous as a wee one is after it is lodged. You can find the large ane easily with the probe, even if it be three or four inches buried; but all the college canna find the buck-shot things, or the wee ones used wi' duellers. I hope, gentlemen, you're pitting good-sized ba's in the wee anes get round corners o' banes, and although you may probe five or e'en sax inches, it's all to nae purpose: the ba' must be left to its ain billet for aye, or till the body is handed o'er for dissaction; then it is ta'en oot, covered wi' substeeance would surpreese you to look on, and mak' you wonder hoo the patient could ha' lived sae long as mony do, with ba's in a' sorts o' places."

"What's this, Doctor?" inquired the Clerk.

"That? Why, mon, it comes into use after we ha' found the ba' wi' the probe; it is naething mair or ae less than the forceps, difficult enou' to use when the ba' is buried far in; for, you ken, we must ha' room to open the handles wide enou' for the nipping paart to tak' the ba' in its clutch; and if deep-seated we're obleeged to inceese for the purpose."

"Inceese what the dickens is that?"

"Why, just to widen oot the hole, so as to spread the handles so (suiting the action to the word); "and that we do wi' this" (taking out the amputating knife), "or this" (producing a smaller one). "Awfu' trying was it to my feelings when I had cut o'er deep-nae doot, for the matter o' that, to the feelings o' the patient too-before I got used to it. Sometimes we had to cut where there is an airtery, that we catch up w' this ane, the airtery forceps; and when we hae got it, we hae it held up by an assistant o' ane side oot of the way, and up highish, with this, ca'll tenaculum" (wiping away, as before, amid deep silence, most of us being deeply interested). "And i' by chance," he proceeded, "and it's nae uncommon, the ba' sticks against a bane-as I farevently hope ane o' they you've wrapt sae carefully in swaddling flannels, and pit into they fire weapons, may not-we tak' this, the bane clipper, and grope awa'. If we find the bane shattered, we clip awa' the spleentered bits: it's always o'er bad surgery to leave bits o' bane behind: to mak' a' right we smooth the damaged bane, after denuding it with this, the raspatory-you see, nae unlike a file, having something of the properties o' that article; and if ba's mak' holes in heeds, as Selby's did in Stackpole's, the great duellers at Jamaica, where I was twa years or sae, gone by-which guid Providence forbid either o' they may in the heeds of you, poor sinners!-then these trephines come into request; and this, the heed