to obey, expecting another cuff harder than
the last; but when he saw me begin to pull and haul with the rest he
said no more. Perhaps he observed the blood streaming from my head.
The sails were now sheeted home, the yards trimmed, and the _Intrepid_
stood away from the land.

Another opportunity of making my escape was lost.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

WE CROSS THE LINE AND ATTEMPT TO ROUND CAPE HORN.

Jim was always saying, "Cheer up, Peter, cheer up!" but it was a very
hard matter to be cheery when I thought of the cruel way in which I had
been treated, and the sorrow my sister must be feeling at my supposed
loss. I tried, as advised, to keep up my spirits, and did my best to
obey the orders I received.

Jim observed that it was all the same to him. His friends would not
grieve much over his loss, and, as far as he was concerned, he would as
soon be chasing whales in the Pacific as working a wherry in Portsmouth
Harbour.

As we approached the line I found that the men were making preparations
for going through the ceremony which was performed on board most vessels
in those days. One of the boat-steerers, Sam Ringold, who stood six
feet four in his shoes, and was proportionably broad, was chosen to act
the part of Neptune, and the cooper's mate, who was as wide as he was
high, that of his wife. The armourer took the part of the barber, and
the carpenter's mate, who was lank and tall, the doctor.

Three of the ordinary seamen, the smallest fellows on board, were their
attendants. All the chests were searched for the required dresses, and
some curtains belonging to the cabin found their way forward to form a
petticoat for Mrs Neptune. Some gold paper and pasteboard were
manufactured into crowns, and some fishes' tails were ingeniously formed
for the attendants. I discovered the preparations going forward, but
was charged not to let Horner, or Esdale, or Jim know anything about
them. I was more favoured than the rest of my messmates by the men, who
seemed to have taken a liking to me; whether it was because they had
heard how I had assisted to save the _Good Intent_, or thought that I
was ill-treated by the captain, I do not know, but so it was. No one
ever abused me, or gave me the taste of a rope's-end.

We had been sailing on with light winds when one morning, after the
decks had been washed down and the other duties of the ship performed,
having run on for a short distance, we lay almost becalmed with