The boatswain, who had drunk too much the night before, and, as Jack had truly imagined, had opened the window because he was unwell, was wakened up, and hearing how late it was, hastened to dress himself.

Not finding his trousers, he rang the bell, supposing that they had been taken down to be brushed, and, in the meantime, put on everything else, that he might lose no time: the waiter who answered the bell, denied having taken the trousers out of the room, and poor Mr Biggs was in a sad quandary.

What had become of them, he could not tell: he had no recollection of having gone to bed the night before; he inquired of the waiter, who said that he knew nothing about them--that he was very tipsy when he came home, and that when he called him, he had found the window open, and it appeared that he had been unwell--he supposed that he had thrown his trousers out of the window.

Time flew, and the boatswain was in despair.

"Could they lend him a pair ?" "He would call his master." The master of the inn knew very well the difference of rank between officers, and those whom he could trust and those whom he could not.