that he has really got possession of his own
son."

The only immediate objection to this ingenious
proposition was started by the doctor; who
sarcastically inquired of Simon "what he thought
Mrs. Heavysides would say to it?" The
carpenter confessed that this consideration had
escaped him; and that Mrs. Heavysides was
only too likely to be an irremovable obstacle in
the way of the proposed arrangement. The
witnesses all thought so too; and Heavysides and
his idea were dismissed together, after Simon
had first gratefully expressed his entire readiness
to leave it all to the captain.

"Very well, gentlemen," said Captain Gillop.
"As commander on board, I reckon next after
the husbands in the matter of responsibility—
I've considered this difficulty in all its bearings
—and I'm prepared to deal with it. The Voice of
Nature (which you proposed, Mr. Purling)
has been found to fail. The tossing up for it
(which you proposed, Mr. Sims) doesn't square
altogether with my notions of what's right in a
very serious business. No, sir! I've got my
own plan; and I'm now about to try it. Follow
me below, gentlemen, to the steward's
pantry."

The witnesses looked round on one another
in the profoundest astonishment—and followed.

"Saunders," said the captain, addressing the
steward. "Bring out the scales."

The scales were of the ordinary kitchen sort,
with a tin tray, on one side, to hold the
commodity to be weighed, and a stout iron slab on
the other to support the weights. Saunders
placed these scales upon a neat little pantry
table, fitted on the ball-and-socket principle, so
as to save the breaking of crockery by swinging
with the motion of the ship.

"Put a clean duster in the tray," said the
captain. "Doctor," he continued, when this
had been done, "shut the doors of the sleeping-
berths (for fear of the women hearing anything;
and oblige me by bringing those two babies in
here."

"Oh, sir!" exclaimed Mrs. Drabble, who had
been peeping guiltily at the proceedings—"oh,
don't hurt the little dears! If anybody suffers,
let it be me!"

"Hold your tongue, if you please, ma'am,"
said the captain. "And keep the secret of
these proceedings, if you wish to keep your
place. If the ladies ask for their children, say
they will have them in ten minutes' time."

The doctor came in, and set down the clothes-
basket cradle on the pantry floor. Captain
Gillop immediately put on his spectacles, and
closely examined the two unconscious innocents
who lay beneath him.

"Six of one and half a dozen of the other,"
said the captain. "I don't see any difference
between them. Wait a bit, though! Yes, I do.
One's a bald baby. Very good. We'll begin
with that one. Doctor, strip the bald baby,
and put him in the scales."

The bald baby protested—in his own language
—but in vain. In two minutes he was flat on
his back in the tin tray, with the clean duster
under him to take the chill off.

"Weigh him accurately, Saunders," continued
the captain. "Weigh him, if necessary, to an
eighth of an ounce. Gentlemen! watch this
proceeding closely: it's a very important one."

While the steward was weighing and the
witnesses were watching, Captain Gillop asked his
first mate for the log-book of the ship, and for
pen and ink.

"How much, Saunders?" asked the captain,
opening the book.

"Seven pounds, one ounce, and a quarter,"
answered the steward.

"Right, gentlemen?" pursued the captain.

"Quite right," said the witnesses.

"Bald child—distinguished as Number One
—weight, seven pounds, one ounce, and a quarter
(avoirdupois)," repeated the captain, writing
down the entry in the log-book. "Very good.
We'll put the bald baby back now, doctor; and
try the hairy one next."

The hairy one protested—also in his own
language—and also in vain.

"How much, Saunders?" asked the captain.

"Six pounds, fourteen ounces, and three-
quarters," replied the steward.

"Right, gentlemen?" inquired the captain.

"Quite right," answered the witnesses.

"Hairy child—distinguished as Number Two,
weight six pounds, fourteen ounces, and three-
quarters (avoirdupois)," repeated, and wrote, the
captain. "Much obliged to you, Jolly—that
will do. When you have got the other baby
back in the cradle, tell Mrs. Drabble neither of
them must be taken out of it, till further orders;
and then be so good as to join me and these
gentlemen on deck. If anything of a discussion
rises up among us, we won't run the risk of
being heard in the sleeping-berths." With these
words Captain Gillop led the way on deck, and
the first mate followed with the log-book and
the pen and ink.

"Now, gentlemen," began the captain, when
the doctor had joined the assembly, "my first
mate will open these proceedings by reading
from the log a statement which I have written
myself, respecting this business, from beginning
to end. If you find it all equally correct with
the statement of what the two children weigh,
I'll trouble you to sign it, in your quality of
witnesses, on the spot."

The first mate read the narrative, and the
witnesses signed it, as perfectly correct.
Captain Gillop then cleared his throat, and
addressed his expectant audience in these words:

"You'll all agree with me, gentlemen, that
justice is justice; and that like must to like.
Here's my ship of five hundred tons, fitted with
her spars accordingly. Say, she's a schooner of
a hundred and fifty tons, the veriest landsman
among you, in that case, wouldn't put such
masts as these into her. Say, on the other hand,
she's an Indiaman of a thousand tons, would
our spars (excellent good sticks as they are,
gentlemen) be suitable for a vessel of that
capacity? Certainly not. A schooner's spars to