t of confidence in his power over the horses,--greater to be sure
than there was any just ground for, but which was turned to a very
important account, a few hours afterward, as will be seen in the
sequel.

The sailor went several times into the taverns on the way, in the
course of the afternoon, to drink, until, at length, he became
partially intoxicated. He felt, however, so much restrained in the
presence of the passengers within the coach, that he did not become
talkative and noisy, as is frequently the case in such circumstances;
but was rather stupid and sleepy. In fact, no one observed that any
change was taking place in his condition, until, at last, as he was
coming out from the door of a tavern, where he had been in to get
another drink, the driver said,

"Come, Jack, you must get up with me now, there is another passenger
to get in here."

Marco, who was still in his seat, holding the reins of the horses,
looked down, expecting that the sailor would make objections to this
proposal,--but he found, on the contrary, that Jack, as they called
him, acquiesced without making any difficulty, and allowed the driver
to help him up. The new passenger got inside. Forester felt somewhat
uneasy at having Marco ride any longer on the top, especially now that
the sailor was going up too. But the coach was full. He himself was
wedged into his seat, so that he could not get out easily. He knew,
too, that two or three of the passengers were going to get out at the
next stage, and so he concluded to let Marco remain outside until that
time, and then to take him in again.

Marco's admiration for the sailor was very much diminished when he
saw how helpless he had rendered himself by his excesses, and how
unceremoniously the driver pulled and hauled him about, in getting him
into his seat.

"There! hold on there," said the driver to him, in a stern
voice,--"hold on well, or you'll be down head foremost under the
horses' heels, at the first pitch we come to."

The poor sailor said nothing, but grasped an iron bar which passed
from the top of the coach down by the side of the seat, and held on as
well as he could.

They rode on in this manner for some miles, the head of the sailor
swinging back and forth, helplessly, as if he was nearly asleep.
Whenever Marco or the driver spoke to him, he either answered in a
thick and sleepy tone of voice, or he did not reply at all. Marco
watched him for a time, being continually afrai