re this morning I ordered a certain
red-haired rascal fifty lashes athwart a gun. But the bo'sun had laid
on but poor ten and the fellow roaring lustily when into the
'tween-decks cometh my lady in mighty taking, and seeing the rogue's
back a little bloody, ordered him freed and thereafter cossets him wi'
dainties from her own table. Lord love ye! Which cometh o' women
aboard ship!" And here Adam sighed mighty dismal.

"Why then," says I, "here's work for me, belike."

"As how, Martin?"

"Nay, leave it to me, being little better than rogue myself I should
know how to outmatch roguery!"

"Meaning you'll spy on 'em, shipmate?"

"And lie and cozen and join fellowship with 'em if need be. Howbeit
there's aught afoot I'll bottom it, one rascally fashion or t'other."

"'Tis desperate risk, Martin, and should they suspicion you--"

"Why, look, Adam, my life's none so sweet or precious that I'd cherish
it in lavender. Besides I've a feeling I may not die until--at least,
not yet."

"Wait!" says he, as I rose. "Bide a while, Martin!" And, opening a
locker beneath his bunk, he took thence a shirt of fine chain-work like
that he himself wore. Shaking my head I would have put it by but he
caught my arm in his powerful grip and shook me insistent. "Take it,
Martin," says he, "take it, man, 'tis easy and pleasant as any glove,
yet mighty efficacious 'gainst point or edge, and you go where knives
are sudden! Stay then, take it for my sake, shipmate, since trusty
comrades be few and mighty hard come by." So in the end I did it on
beneath my doublet and found it to irk me nothing. "And now, what?" he
questioned, as I opened the door.

"Sleep," says I, yawning.

"There's a bunk yonder, Martin," says he, eyeing me 'twixt narrowed
lids.

"Nay, I'm for my dog-hole, Adam."

"You seem to sleep much and mighty well, despite stench and rats,
shipmate."

"I'm grown used to 'em," says I, with another yawn, "and as to sleeping
I do little else of late--'tis the dark, belike, or bad air, or lack of
exercise." Now as I rose to be gone, the deck seemed to heave oddly
beneath my feet and the cabin to swing dizzily round, so that I must
needs grip at the table to steady myself, while Adam peered at me
through a haze as it were.

"What's here, Martin, are ye sick?" he questioned.

"A vertigo!" I mumbled, "I'll into the air!" In a little the dizziness
abating, I got me out on deck and found in the rushing wind mighty
co