Next forenoon, Mr. Treenail, the second lieutenant, sent for me.
"Mr. Cringle," said he, "you have an uncle in Cork, I believe?"
I said I had.
"I am going there on duty to-night; I daresay, if you asked the captain
to let you accompany me, he would do so." This was too good an offer
not to be taken advantage of. I plucked up courage, made my bow, asked
leave, and got it; and the evening found my friend the lieutenant, and
myself, after a ride of three hours, during which I, for one, had my
bottom sheathing grievously rubbed, and a considerable botheration at
crossing the Ferry at Passage, safe in our inn at Cork. I soon found
out that the object of my superior officer was to gain information
amongst the crimp shops, where ten men who had run from one of the West
Indiamen, waiting at Cove for convoy, were stowed away, but I was not
let further into the secret; so I set out to pay my visit, and after
passing a pleasant evening with my friends, Mr. and Mrs. Job Cringle,
the lieutenant dropped in upon us about nine o'clock. He was heartily
welcomed; and under the plea of our being obliged to return to the ship
early next morning, we soon took leave, and returned to the inn.
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