"See now, lay me alone and don't be crass-questionin' me-tare an ouns do you think me sitch a bladdherang as for to go shuperinscribe a thing I wasn't aiquil to ?"

"No; I was only goin' to ax you what coorse you wor goin' to steer?"

"You'll find out soon enough when we get there-and so I bid you agin' lay me alone-just keep your toe in your pump. Shure I'm here at the helm, and a woight an my mind, and its fitther for you, Jim, to mind your own business and lay me to mind mine; away wid you there and be handy, haul taught that foresheet there, we must run close an the wind; be handy boys; make everything dhraw."

These orders were obeyed, and the hooker soon passed to windward of a ship that left the harbour before her, but could not hold on a wind with the same tenacity as the hooker, whose qualities in this peculiarity, render them particularly suitable for the purposes to which they are applied, namely, pilot and fishing boats.

We have said a ship left the harbour before the hooker had set sail, and it is now fitting to inform the reader that Barny had contrived, in the course of his last meeting with the "long sailor," to ascertain that this ship, then lying in the harbour, was going to the very place Barny wanted to reach.Barny's plan of action was decided upon in a moment: he had now nothing to do but to watch the sailing of the ship and follow in her course. Here was at once, a new mode of navigation discovered.

The stars, twinkling in mysterious brightness, through the silent gloom of night, were the first encouraging, because visible guides to the adventurous mariners of antiquity. Since then, the sailor, encouraged, by a bolder science, relies on the unseen agency of

nature, depending on the fidelity of an atom of iron to the mystic law that claims its homage in the north. This is one refinement of science upon another. But the beautiful simplicity of Barny O'Reirdon's philosophy cannot be too much admired. To follow the ship that is going to the same place. Is not this navigation made easy?

But Barny, like many a great man before him, seemed not to be aware of how much credit he was entitled to for his invention, for he did not divulge to his companions the originality of his proceeding; he wished them to believe he was only proceeding in the commonplace manner, and had no ambition to be distinguished as the happy projector of so simple a practice.

For this purpose he went to windward of the ship and then fell off again, allowing her to pass him, as he did not wish even those on board the ship to suppose he was following in their wake, for Barny, like all people that arequite full of one scheme, and fancy everybody is watching them, dreaded least any one should fathom his motives. All that day Barny held on the same course as his leader, keeping at a respectful distance, however, "for fear 'twould look like dodging her," as he said to himself, but as night closed in, so closed in Barny with the ship, and kept a sharp look-out that she should not give him the slip in the dark. The next morning dawned, and found the hooker and ship companions still; and thus matters proceeded for four days, during the entire of which time they had not seen land since their first losing sight of it, although the weather was clear.

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By my sowl," thought Barny, "the channel must be mighty wide in these parts, and for the last day or so we've been goin' purty free with a flowin' sheet, and I wondher we are'nt closin' in wid the shore by this time; or maybe it's farther off than I thought it was." His companions, too, began to question Barny on the subject, but to their queries he presented an impenetrable front of composure, and said, "it was always the best plan to keep a good bowld offin'." In two days more, however, the weather began to be sensibly warmer, and Barny and his companions remarked that it was

goin' to be the finest sayson-God bless it-that ever kem out o' the skies for many a long year, and maybe it's

the whate wouldn't be beautiful, and a great plenty of it." It was at the end of a week that the ship which Barny had hitherto kept a-head of him,shewed symptoms of bearing down upon him, as he thought, and, sure enough, she did, and Barny began to conjecture what the deuce the ship could want with him, and commenced inventing answers to the questions he thought it possible might be put to him in case the ship spoke him. He was soon put out of suspense by being hailed and ordered to run under her lee, and the Captain, looking over the quarter, asked Barny where he was going? "Faith then I'm goin' an my business," said Barny.

"But where?" said the Captain. Why, sure, an it's no matther where a poor man like me id be goin'" said Barny.

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Only I'm curious to know what the deuce you've been following my ship for, for the last week?"

"It's very like it," said the Captain. Why, did two people niver thravel the same road before?"

"I don't say they did'nt ; but there's a great difference between a ship of 700 tons and a hooker."

"Oh, as for that matther," said Barny, "the same high road sarves a coach and four and a low-back car; the thravellin' tinker an' a lord a' horseback."

"That's very true," said the Captain, "but the cases are not the same, Paddy, and I can't conceive what the devil brings you here.

"And who ax'd you to consayve any thing about it?" asked Barny somewhat sturdily.

"D-n me if I can imagine what you're about, my fine fellow," said the Captain, "and my own notion is, that you don't know where the d-l you're going yourself.

"O baithershin!" said Barny, with a laugh of derision.

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Why then do you object to tell ?” said the Captain.

"Arrah sure, Captain, an' don't you know that sometimes vessels is bound to sail undher saycret ordhers ?" said Barny, endeavouring to foil the question by badinage.

There was a universal laugh from the deck of the ship at the idea of a fishing

boat sailing under secret orders; for, by this time, the whole broadside of the vessel was crowded with grinning mouths and wondering eyes at Barny and his boat.

"Oh, it's a thrifle makes fools laugh," said Barny.

"Take care, my fine fellow, that you don't be laughing at the wrong side of your mouth before long, for I've a notion that you're cursedly in the wrong box, as cunning a fellow as you think yourself. D-n your stupid head can't you tell what brings you here?

Why thin, by gor one id think the whole say belonged to you, you're so mighty bowld in axin questions an it. Why tare an ouns, sure I've as much right to be here as you, though I haven't as big a ship nor as fine a coat-but maybe I can take as good sailin' out o' the one, and has as bowld a heart under th' other."

"Very well," said the Captain, “I see there's no use in talking to you, so go to the d-1 your own way." And away bore the ship, leaving Barny in indignation and his companions in wonder.

"An' why wouldn't you tell him?" said they to Barny.

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Why don't you see," said Barny, whose object was now to blind them, "don't you see, how do I know but maybe he might be goin' to the same place himself, and may be has a cargo of scalpeens as well as uz, and wants to get before us there.

"Thrue for you, Barny," said they. "By dad you're right.' And their enquiries being satisfied, the day passed as former ones had done, in pursuing the course of the ship.

In four days more, however, the provisions in the hooker began to fail, and they were obliged to have recourse to the scalpeens for sustenance, and Barny then got seriously uneasy at the length of the voyage, and the still likely greater length, for anything he could see to the contrary, and urged at last by his own alarms and those of his companions, he was enabled, as the wind was light, to gain on the ship, and when he found himself alongside, he demanded a parley with the Captain.

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The Captain, on hearing that the hardy hooker," as she got christened, was under his lee, came on deck, and as soon as he appeared Barny cried outWhy thin, blur an agers, Captain

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