o was in
charge, had a small room to himself. On July 18 the Pilgrim returned
with news. Captain T------ had taken command of a larger vessel, the
Alert, and the owners, at the request of my friends, had written to
Captain T------ to take me on board should the Alert return to the
States before the Pilgrim.

On September 8, I found myself on board the new vessel, and with her
visited San Francisco, as well as other ports already named. Our crew
were somewhat diminished; we were short-handed for a voyage round Cape
Horn in the depth of winter, and so cramped and deadened was the Alert
by her unusually large cargo, and the weight of our five months stores,
that her channels were down in the water; while, to make matters even
more uncomfortable, the forecastle leaked, and in bad weather more than
half the berths were rendered tenantless. But "Never mind, we're
homeward bound!" was the answer to everything.

The crew included four boys, regarding two of whom an incident may here
be chronicled. There was a little boxing-match on board while we were at
Monterey in December. A broad-backed, big-headed Cape Cod boy, about
sixteen, had been playing the bully over a slender, delicate-looking boy
from one of the Boston schools. One day George (the Boston boy) said he
would fight Nat if he could have fair play. The chief mate heard the
noise, and attempted to make peace; but, finding it useless, called all
hands up, ranged the crew in the waist, marked a line on the deck,
brought the two boys up to it, and made them "toe the mark."

Nat put in his double-fisters, starting the blood, and bringing the
black-and-blue spots all over the face and arms of the other, whom we
expected to see give in every moment. But the more he was hurt the
better he fought. Time after time he was knocked nearly down, but up he
came again and faced the mark, as bold as a lion, again to take the
heavy blows, which sounded so as to make one's heart turn with pity for
him. At length he came up to the mark the last time, his shirt torn from
his body, his face covered with blood and bruises, and his eyes flashing
with fire, and swore he would stand there until one or the other was
killed.

And he set to like a young fury. "Hurrah in the bow!" said the men,
cheering him on. Nat tried to close with him, but the mate stopped that.
Nat then came up to the mark, but looked white about the mouth, and his
blows were not given with half the spirit of his first. He