“Yes, that’s all clear,” replied Bill; “and it was no ghost, after all?  But still the cat did do mischief, for if the mate had not been frightened by it, he wouldn’t have let go the wheel, and the masts would not have gone by the lee.”

“That’s true enough, and he might have done more mischief still if the captain had not shot him, for the men would never have gone to the pumps again; but when they found out that it was nothing but the cat himself, then they set to, and before the next evening the vessel was clear, and only required pumping out every two hours, for the leak wasn’t great, after all.  So there’s a ghost story for you, and I believe that all others will be found, like mine, to end in moonshine.  Now, suppose we turn in, for we shall weigh at three o’clock in the morning.”

We all tumbled into the standing berths in the fore-peak.  I dreamed of black tom cats all night.  The next morning we weighed with a fair wind; as before, I stood beside Bramble, who pointed out to me everything worth notice or memory as we passed, but at last the motion affected me so much that I could pay little attention, and I remained by his side as pale as a sheet.  We rounded the North Foreland, and long before dark anchored in the Downs.  Bramble went no further with the vessel, the captain himself being a good pilot for the Channel.  A Deal boat came alongside, we got into it, they landed us on the shingle beach, and I followed Bramble up to his abode.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

     Bramble’s Method of Education proves very effective—­He also points
     out a Position in which you may prefer your Enemies to your
     Friends!

The house of Philip Bramble was situated on the further side of a road which ran along the shore, just above the shingle beach.  It was a large cottage on one floor, the street door entering at once into its only sitting-room.  It was furnished as such tenements usually are, with a small dresser and shelves for crockery, and a table and chairs of cherry wood; on the broad mantelpiece, for the fireplace was large, were several brass candlesticks, very bright, ranged with foreign curiosities, and a few shells; half a dozen prints in frames ornamented the walls; and on large nails drove into the panels, wherever a space could be found, were hung coats, P-jackets, and other articles of dress, all ready for the pilot to change whenever he came on shore wet to the skin.  Everything was neat and clean:  the planks of the floor were white as snow, yet the floor itself was sanded with white sand, and there were one or two square wooden boxes, also filled with sand, for the use of those who smoked.  When I add that, opposite to the fireplace, there was a set of drawers of walnut wood, with an escritoire at the top, upon the flat part of which were a few books neatly arranged, and over it an old-fashioned looking-glass, divided at the sides near to the frame