Part 19 (2/2)

”We et into harbour We shall have to touch at a good e it one way or another”

”We'll talk about that by-and-by, but tell me how you happened to be here I heard that you had been sent on board a man-of-war,” I said

”So I was, and I wish I had reainst ot She was the 'Beagle' sloop of war We were ordered to cruise on the Irish coast We were not far off the town of Belfast, when a boat's crehich I belonged pulled ashore under charge of a mid-shi+pe, I ran off as fast as e in which there was a whiteheaded old fellow, a girl, and two young men I told the tomen said at once that they would protect me, and would answer that I should not be retaken The old a to do with the business, advising theirl, however, pleaded for me, and observed that now I had run, reater, and that it would be cruel and inhospitable to refusethe young men took oing to sail for Liverpool, and that if I liked I could go in her Her cargo, they said, was tiots and potatoes I knew that at Liverpool there was no chance of being discovered, and I at once agreed

We reached the Mersey in a couple of days As ill-luck would have it, I landed close to where the 'E that I could not venture to return home, I went on board and asked if a boy anted The first mate at once said yes, as one of the apprentices had cut and run and could not be found I thought I was in good luck, but we hadn't been to sea -pan into the fire The other apprentice, poor Jack Drage, told me that he had been kicked and cuffed from the first moment that he had stepped on board, and that if he had had any friends on shore, he'd have taken French leave as the other had done Things had groorse instead of better, and he was already weary of his life

I advised hishis hands and cried, declaring that he was utterly miserable I did my best to keep up his spirits, but it was all of no use One night during a gale we had soon after sailing, he disappeared Whether he had thrown himself overboard into the sea, or been knocked overboard no one could tell Of course it was entered in the log that he had been knocked overboard In my opinion he sacrificed his life rather than endure his miseries I told the first mate so, and he knocked me down The next time he calledto do aith e, and that I would make a complaint of him to the British Consul whenever we touched at a port On this he knocked ain

I know that I was taken with the sulks, and for days afterwards didn't speak to him or any one else; but as I had no wish to be killed, I did what I was ordered to do, and got on somewhat better Ever since that not a day passes that I don't get a kick or have a marline-spike hove at my head by either the officers or men forward They're all very ood a fellow as ever lived He has a hard life of it, for thehim tricks; and the officers spite hi him do dirty jobs which no able seaman should be called on to perforer, or I shall be suspected of being your friend Don't let any one find out that we know each other, and we shall get on all the better I'll tell Toe it; meanwhile you stay quiet in the bunk, even if you feel well enough to get up”

”There is no chance ofable to do that for some days,” I answered, ”for I don't think I could stand if I were to try”

Mark now lefttalked so long to him

After some time Tom appeared with a basin of hot black coffee, with so in it

”Can't I have a little milk?” I asked

”We've not any cows on board here,” he answered with a laugh; ”and there are no dairies in the Atlantic, unless Daddy Neptune happens to keep sea-cows”

”You ht me very silly to ask for milk,” I said, as I ate up the sopped biscuit, and drank the hot coffee, which ell sweetened with sugar

”It shows you are so, ”but no wonder your wits aren't of the brightest after having been shut up in the dark so long; you shall have so else by-and-by

Re well too soon, that's all”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

My convalescence--Julius Caesar befriends e of diet disappear--My turn at last--A severe discipline--Captain Longfleet--”Please, sir, I couldn't help it”--”There goes the baby and his nurse”--Caesar's sympathy--Hoed my life to Tom Trivett--Bad food--”It makes me sick to cook it”--The deputation to the captain--The discontent increases a the line--”What shi+p is that?”--We receive a visit froht have come to

I intended to take the advice of et well too soon, but in reality there was no et out of iven up his berth to ht forward, but never uttered a word of complaint, or tried to induce rateful to him He even, I knew, tried to influence the rest of the crew for good, but did not succeed They let him alone, which was all he could expect of them The third mate, who kneas there, never ca on

Mark paid ht me my food when Tom was on duty

The only other man as kind to me was Julius Caesar, the black cook, and he frequently sent me wholesome messes which he had concocted for e Mark and Toobbled up on their way Mark told me this, for Julius Caesar himself never came to have a look at me

”If I come, den dey say I friend of his--it worse for him”

Both Mark and Caesar slept in the larboard berth, so that they had no business in the one I occupied

I should explain that the space under the topgallant forecastle was divided by a bulkhead running fore and aft into parts for separate cabins, one called the starboard, and the other the larboard berths, with bunks built up on both sides, one above another, or rather, in two stories, to explain myself better