you want to go to sea? What can
such a chap as you do on a ship? Go home, and stick by your
mammy for five years more, and then you'll have no trouble in
shipping."

Rodney was a good deal frightened at such a reply, and walked on
for some time, not venturing to ask again. Toward noon he went
on board a large vessel, and seeing a man, whom he took for the
captain of the ship, asked him if he could give him a place.

"No, my boy," he replied; "we don't sail for three weeks, and we
never ship a crew before the time."

All day he wandered about the wharves, and to all his questions
received repelling replies, mingled oftentimes with oaths,
jeers, and insults. No one seemed to feel the least interest for
him.

CHAPTER IV.

RODNEY FINDS A PATRON.

Late in the afternoon Rodney strolled up the East River wharves.
He was hungry, for he had eaten nothing all day. He was very
sad, and sat down on a cotton bale, and cried. In what a
position had a single day placed him! He had no place where he
could lay his head for the night, no bread to eat, and he knew
nobody whom he dared to ask for a meal; and so, with a sorrowful
heart, he sat down and wept.

He buried his face in his hands, and for a long time sat there
motionless. He did not know that a man was standing before him,
watching him, until he was startled by a voice:

"Why, my boy, what is the matter with you?"

He looked up, and saw a tall man in a sailor's dress standing
near him.

"I want to get a place on a ship, sir, to go to sea," replied
Rodney; "I can't find any place, and I have no money and no
friends here."

The man sat down beside him, and asked him, "Where are your
friends?"

"In Albany, sir."

"What did you leave them for?"

"Because I wanted to go to sea."

They talked some time together, and Rodney told him truly all about
himself and his friends. The man seemed to pity him, and told him
that he was a sailor, and had lately been discharged from a United
States vessel, where he had served as a marine,--that he had spent
almost all his money, and was looking for another ship. He told
Rodney to go with him, and he would try what could be done for him.
They went into a sailors' boarding-house, and got something to eat.

Then the man,--who said his name was Bill Seegor, and that he
must call him Bill, and not Mister, nor sir,--took him with
himself into a ball-room. Here he saw a great many sailors and
bad women, who danced together