e navy-plug, I fell
into a pleasanter mood myself, and, it being too late now to go to the
theatre, I condescended to say--addressing the northwest corner of the
ceiling--that "seven up" was a capital game. Upon this hint the Admiral
disappeared, and returned shortly with a very dirty pack of cards.

As we played, with varying fortunes, by the flickering flame of the
lamp, he sipped his beer and became communicative. He seemed immensely
tickled by the fact that I had come to Boston. It leaked out presently
that he and the Captain had had a wager on the subject.

The discovery of my plans and who had discovered them were points on
which the Admiral refused to throw any light. They had been discovered,
however, and the Captain had laughed at the idea of my running away.
Sailor Ben, on the contrary, had stoutly contended that I meant to slip
cable and be off. Whereupon the Captain offered to bet him a dollar that
I wouldn't go. And it was partly on account of this wager that Sailor
Ben refrained from capturing me when he might have done so at the start.

Now, as the fare to and from Boston, with the lodging expenses, would
cost him at least five dollars, I didn't see what he gained by winning
the wager. The Admiral rubbed his nose violently when this view of the
case presented itself.

I asked him why he didn't take me from the train at the first
stopping-place and return to Rivermouth by the down train at 4.30. He
explained having purchased a ticket for Boston, he considered himself
bound to the owners (the stockholders of the road) to fulfil his part of
the contract! To use his own words, he had "shipped for the viage."

This struck me as being so deliciously funny, that after I was in bed
and the light was out, I couldn't help laughing aloud once or twice. I
suppose the Admiral must have thought I was meditating another escape,
for he made periodical visits to my bed throughout the night, satisfying
himself by kneading me all over that I hadn't evaporated.

I was all there the next morning, when Sailor Ben half awakened me by
shouting merrily, "All hands on deck!" The words rang in my ears like a
part of my own dream, for I was at that instant climbing up the side of
the Rawlings to offer myself as cabin-boy.

The Admiral was obliged to shake me roughly two or three times before he
could detach me from the dream. I opened my eyes with effort, and stared
stupidly round the room. Bit by bit my real situation dawned