get ashore, you may
trust them to talk about it freely, very often adding embellishments of
their own. The reputation of a ship-master is in the hands of his crew;
and if he is foolish enough to afford them the opportunity, they may be
depended upon to ruin it for him. Besides, I want you to remember your
responsibilities as master of this brig. I will undertake to look after
her and see that nothing goes wrong during the time that I have charge
of the deck; but I cannot _always_ be on deck, you know; and if you
should happen to be intoxicated and incapable--as you were last night--
while I am below, what would be the result of a sudden squall, for
instance? Or how is the craft to be kept clear of possible collision on
a dark and dirty night? There are a thousand sudden emergencies
constantly threatening the seaman, any one of which may arise at a
moment's notice."

"Yes, yes," answered Purchas, somewhat impatiently; "I know all about
that. I've heard it all a thousand times before; heard it until I'm
sick of it. But there's no call to make a fuss about it; I own up that
I was just a little bit `sprung' last night; but what of it? The night
was fine and clear, the `glass' was steady, and there wasn't nothin'
anywheres within sight of us; so where was the danger?"

"There was none, as it fortunately happened," admitted Leslie. "But who
is to know what will occur within the limits of a four-hours' watch?
Suppose, for instance, that I had not chanced to notice your condition,
and had turned in; and that while you were lying unconscious upon that
hencoop a sudden squall had struck the brig, what would have happened?
Why, the craft might have been dismasted, or even, perhaps, capsized!
And where should we all have been, in that case?"

"Well, ye see, we warn't dismasted, let alone capsized, so there's no
harm done," answered Purchas, testily. "All the same," he added, in
more moderate tones, "I'm willin' to admit that there's a good deal of
reason in your argufication, so I'll go slow in future; I don't say that
I won't take a glass or so of grog of an evenin' if I feels to want it;
but I'll take care not to swaller enough of it to capsize me again."

"You would do far better to swear off it altogether," asserted Leslie.
"You would be glad, afterwards, that you had done so. You are an
excellent seaman; and I shall be more than glad to help you to perfect
yourself in navigation, if you will allow me, so that th