. Well, there was some
talk among the seamen of throwing poor Jim overboard to appease the
ghost of the cat, for it was he who had thrown the cat overboard. But
the captain heard what the men were saying, and he swore that he would
knock the brains out of the first man who laid hold of the boy; and he
sent Jim below out of harm's way. Poor Jim! how bitterly he cried, poor
boy, when he heard what was going on.

"Well, it's a long lane that has no turning, and no gale lasts forever.
The next day it moderated, and the day after the weather was quite fine,
and the sea had gone down. We recovered our spirits, the more so as we
heard no more of the cat; and having jury-rigged her aft, we steered our
course with a light breeze. We were now but a short distance from
Smyrna, and hoped to be there by the next day; but the second mate shook
his head. He said, 'The cat has not done with us, for it was a _black
tom_ cat.'

"The fourth day the captain came on deck, and said, 'I heard a great
washing of water in the run last night, as I thought; have you sounded
the well lately?'

"'No,' replied the first mate, 'I left that to the carpenter.'

"'Well, then, ask him.' Well, the carpenter had not sounded the well, as
it appeared; and so he sounded it immediately, and found that we had
_six feet water in the hold_.

"'I knowed we were doomed,' said the second mate; 'we'll never get at
port'; and so thought the men: but the captain said:

"'Why, the fact is, my lads, we must have sprung a leak in the gale, and
no wonder, beating against the wreck so as we did when the masts went
over the side. Come, rig the pumps, and we shall soon clear her. The tom
cat has nothing to do with this, at all events.'

"Now, you see, our bottom cargo consisted of two or three tier of crates
of crockery, which would not spoil by being wet; but the upper part of
the cargo was bales of dry goods and linen; so the captain was very
anxious that they should work the pumps before the water got higher: the
weather was very fine, the sea smooth, and the wind, although fair, was
light. Well, the seamen were terrified, and thought they were lost; they
asked for liquor, and refused to work at the pumps; they said it was no
use, the ship was doomed. Well, the captain he got very angry; he went
down into the cabin, loaded his double-barreled gun, and swore that he
would shoot the first man through the head who refused to work at the
pumps. The men knew that he was