The Sea-Witch

out a dozen able seamen who formed the watch upon deck. A number of these were now gathered in a knot on the forecastle, and while they were sitting cross-legged, picking old rope, and prepar

over the monkey-rail on the weather side of the quarter-deck, quite unco

nd worthy his trust. Trust?-what was the trust he held? Surely, no legitimate commerce could warrant the outfit of such a vessel as he controlled. A man-of-war could hardly have been more fully equipped with means of offence and defence. Amidship, beneath that long boat, was a long, heavy metalled gun that worked on a traverse, and which could command ne

stowed, also, told of the readiness of the "Sea Witch" to repel boarders. That all these preparations had been made merely as ordinary precautions in a peaceful trade was by no means probable; and yet there they were, and there stood the bright-eyed, handsome and youthful commander upon the quarter

d yet," said one of the forecastle group, in replying

with him, as though he'd been born aboard and never seed the land at all;

Marline, "seein' he started so arly on the se

messmates. "They say you have kept the captain

he man you see yonder leaning over the rail on the q

with him, Bill?-Tell us t

ou would wish to see. We were lying in the Liverpool docks, with sails bent and cargo stowed, under sailing orders, when one afternoon there strolled alongside a boy rather ragged and dirty, but with such eyes and such a countenance as would make him a passport anywhere. Well, do ye see, we were laz

, as the narrator stopped to stove a fresh insta

ve a

stle or the cabin should have him. At last it was left to the boy himself, and he chose to remain with us in the forecastle. The boy wasn't sick an hour on the passage until after we left the Cape of Good Hope, when the flag halliards getting fouled, he was sent up

boy they said was wonderful ready, and learned like a book, and could take the sun and work up the ship's course as well as the captain; but what was the funniest of all was that, after he got well, he didn't know one of us, he had forgotten or even how he came on board the ship, the injury had put such a stopper on his

owled one or two

og-eating Frenchman. And then, as I said before, he took the sun and worked up the the ship's reckoning like a commodore. Well, do ye se, messmates, we made a second and third voyage together in that ship, and when master Will Ratlin-for that was a name we give him when he first came

wled three or four of

e on the home passage, and a half dozen of us got shore leave for a few hours, and I among the rest, and somehow I got rather more grog aboard than I could stow, and when I came off, the captain swore at me like a pirate, and after I got

let this offence pass without further punishment, I will answer for his

iscipline must be o

e's in fault, sir

he punishment,'

an't bear to see a good seaman flo

deserves the cat, though as you make it a personal

ottom to serve him any time. He commanded a brig in the South American trade after that, and would have made a mate of me, but somehow I've got a weakness for grog that isn't very safe, and so he knows 'twont do. You see him there now, messmates, as calm as a lady; but he'

is messmates, but he sternly refused to speak further upon the subject. Either his commander had prohibited him, or he found that by speaking he should

d fellow, there's plenty of sea-room, and no land-sh

eeping a civil tongue in your head, especially bei

this present vocation, eh?

questions asked. I understand very well that Captain

have knocked about long enough to get the number of our mess and to w

ong as the articles you signed are kept by captai

ter; but where are we bou

es, close-hauled, and heading, according to my reckoning, due east, and any man who has stood his trick at the wheel of a sh

red he who had questioned Bill Marline; "but the 'Sea Witch' will sc

but they knew him to be fixed when he chose, and so did not endeavor by importunity to gat

her young commander, who still gazed idly at the passing current. Once or twice a slight frown clouded his features, and his lips moved as though he was striving wit

m, manly distinctness that challenges obedience, and then he resumed his i