nage her well enough, now it's daylight, and
I'm quite sober. You must be very tired, sir; so sit down on the
thwart, or lie down if you please, and take a nap; all's safe enough
now--see, we lie up well for the land;" and such was the case, for she
had brought the boat to the wind, and we skimmed over the waves at the
rate of three or four miles an hour. I had no inclination to sleep; I
baled the boat out thoroughly, and put the baskets and boxes into some
kind of order. I then sat down on the thwarts, first looking round for
a vessel in sight; but seeing none, I entered into conversation with my
companion.

"What is your name?" said I.

"Peggy Pearson; I have my marriage lines to show: they can throw nothing
in my face, except that I'm fond of liquor, God forgive me."

"And what makes you so fond of it now, since you say that, when you were
married, you did not care for it?"

"You may well say that: it all came of _sipping_. James would have me
on his knee, and would insist on my taking a sip; and to please him I
did, although it made me almost sick at first, and then after a while I
did not mind it; and then, you see, when I was waiting at the sallyport
with the other women, the wind blowing fresh, and the spray wetting us
as we stood on the shingle with our arms wrapped up in our aprons,
looking out for a boat from the ship to come on shore, they would have a
quartern, and make me take a drop; and so it went on. Then James made
me bring him liquor on board, and I drank some with him; but what
finished me was, that I heard something about James when he was at
Plymouth, which made me jealous, and then for the first time I got
tipsy. After that, it was all over with me; but, as I said before, it
began with sipping--worse luck, but it's done now. Tell me what has
passed during the night. Has the weather been very bad?"

I told her what had occurred, and how I had kicked her to wake her up.

"Well, I deserved more than kicking, and you're a fine, brave fellow;
and if we get on board the Calliope again--and I trust to God we shall--
I'll take care to blow the trumpet for you as you deserve."

"I don't want any one to blow the trumpet for me," replied I.

"Don't you be proud; a good word from me may be of use to you and it's
what you deserve. The ship's company will think highly of you, I can
tell you. A good name is of no small value--a captain has found out
that before now; you're only a lad, but you're