me good-bye, I bolted back to my game,
with only a confused idea of three masts, and a green painted tafferel,
and a gilt figure-head of Hercules with his club at the bow. Next day I
was so much cast down with everybody saying good-bye, and a lot o' my
female friends cryin' horribly over me, that I did not start for the
harbour, where the ship was lying among a thousand others, till it was
almost too late. So I had to run the whole way. When I reached the
pier, there were so many masts, and so much confusion, that I felt quite
humblebumbled in my faculties. 'Now,' said I to myself, 'Peterkin,
you're in a fix.' Then I fancied I saw a gilt figure-head and three
masts, belonging to a ship just about to start; so I darted on board, but
speedily jumped on shore again, when I found that two of the masts
belonged to another vessel, and the figurehead to a third! At last I
caught sight of what I made sure was it,--a fine large vessel just
casting off her moorings. The tafferel was green. Three masts,--yes,
that must be it,--and the gilt figure-head of Hercules. To be sure it
had a three-pronged pitchfork in its hand instead of a club; but that
might be my uncle's mistake; or perhaps Hercules sometimes varied his
weapons. 'Cast off!' roared a voice from the quarter-deck. 'Hold on!'
cried I, rushing frantically through the crowd. 'Hold on! hold on!'
repeated some of the bystanders, while the men at the ropes delayed for a
minute. This threw the captain into a frightful rage; for some of his
friends had come down to see him off, and having his orders contradicted
so flatly was too much for him. However, the delay was sufficient. I
took a race and a good leap; the ropes were cast off; the steam-tug gave
a puff, and we started. Suddenly the captain was up to me: 'Where did
you come from, you scamp, and what do you want here?'

"'Please, sir,' said I, touching my cap, 'I'm you're new 'prentice come
aboard.'

"'New 'Prentice,' said he, stamping, 'I've got no new 'prentice. My boys
are all aboard already. This is a trick, you young blackguard. You've
run away, you have;' and the captain stamped about the deck and swore
dreadfully; for, you see, the thought of having to stop the ship and
lower a boat and lose half an hour, all for the slake of sending a small
boy ashore, seemed to make him very angry. Besides, it was blowin' fresh
outside the harbour, so that, to have let the steamer alongside to put me
into it was