“Stop a moment, lads.  I must screw him up a little more.”

Dick regulated his first string, and then continued.

“We’ll rant and we’ll roar, like true British sailors,
We’ll rant and we’ll roar across the salt seas;
Until we strike soundings
In the Channel of old England
(From Ushant to Scilly ’tis thirty-five leagues).

“Then we hove our ship to, with the wind at sou’west,
my boys,
Then we hove our ship to, for to strike soundings clear;
Then we filled the maintopsail
And bore right away, my boys,
And straight up the Channel of old England did steer.

“So the first land we made, it is called the Deadman,
Next Ram Head, off Plymouth, Start, Portland, and
the Wight;
We sail-ed by Beachy,
By Fairly and Dungeness,
And then bore away for the South Foreland light.

“Now the signal it was made for the grand fleet to
anchor,
All in the Downs that night for to meet;
Then stand by your stoppers,
See clear your shank painters,
Haul all your clew garnets, stick out tacks and sheets.”

Here Dick was interrupted by another fiddle, which went “turn, turn—­scrape—­turn, turn.”

“There’s Opposition Bill, Dick,” said my father; “I thought you would bring him out.”

“All’s right,” replied Dick; “hope he aren’t affronted; but he looks very black this morning.”

     “Now let every man lake off his full bumper,
     Let every man take off his full bowl;
       For we will be jolly
       And drown melancholy,
     With a health to each jovial and true-hearted soul.”

“Now, then, Billy, fire away.”

“You tink I ’bey your order, you Dick?  No, sar, suppose I fire away, I go off.  I not go off, I stay here.”

“Well, but if you play, you’ll get in trouble, Billy.”

“How I get in trouble?”

“Why, you’ll get in a scrape, won’t you?”

“Ho! you just got out of one, anyhow.”

Dick Harness then said to those who sat by him, “I’ll make him sing the Negro General.”

“Well, if you will howl, Mr. Billy,” cried out Harness, “at all events don’t give us that abominable Nigger General.  It always gives me the toothache.”

“Now I tink dat very fine song; so you may have whole jaw-ache for all I care.  I sing dat, Mr. Dick; you jealous of dat song, I know.”

Opposition Billy flourished a little, and then commenced—­

“Listen, my boys, and I will tell you
Tell you a leetle ’bout Gin’ral Gabriel. 
Oh-e-oh!  Oh-e-oh!

“Dey advertise de Nigger Gin’ral,
A dousand pounds dey advertise him. 
Oh, my boys, I’m most done!

“And who betrayed de Nigger Gin’ral? 
A leetle boy betrayed de Gin’ral. 
Oh-e-oh!  Oh-e-oh!

“A leetle boy by de name of Daniel,
Betrayed him down at Norfolk Landing. 
Oh, my boys, I’m most done!