it," said old Ben as he bent leisurely upon his oar, "but maybe the
young gentleman won't believe it."

"Go ahead, Ben, let's have it," spoke up Jack. "Never mind whether we
believe it or not. It will amuse us at any rate."

"A sailor man is a mo' pribileged pusson dan one what resides on sho',
Ah've noticed," observed Bucephalus. "Folks lak to listen to dem an' dey
don' call it lyin', whereas an' on de oder han', ef Ah indulge in any
picturesque adaptations o' de trufe dey say Ah'm lyin' right away."

"Never mind that," chuckled Percival. "There is no hurry and Ben wants to
spin his yarn, so you might as well let him. Take it easy. There is no
hurry. Go ahead, Ben."

The old sailor was a good deal mollified by Dick's present attitude, and
taking an easy stroke with his oar, he began his more or less veracious
narrative.

"It was down on the coast o' South Ameriky that this here thing happened,
but I never had it put in the log 'cause the old man wasn't along an'
nothin' went into it that he didn't see hisself; but it's just as true,
I'm giving you my word----"

"As the one about the whale!" roared Dick. "Go on, Ben."

"We was sailin' along the coast o' South Ameriky," Ben went on, "when one
day as I was cleanin' out one o' the boats to have ready when we went
ashore, which we judged would be in a little while, there come up a sudden
squall an' I was chucked clean overboard, boat and all.

"Davits, falls, blocks and everything went, and me too, striking the water
kerplump. Then it got so dark that I couldn't see nothin', and where I was
I had no idee, no more'n nothin', 'cause I couldn't see a thing and there
was such a noise all around that I couldn't hear a thing. Then it come on
to rain for further orders and I was just drenched to the skin and had all
I could do to keep the boat bailed out.

"I couldn't see nor hear anything of the old hooker and I just drifted
without knowin' where I was goin' and not carin' much nuther, bein' wet to
the hide an' tired out with bailin' an' just ready to flop down an' quit.

"Well, I drifted an' drifted without knowin' where I was driftin', till
finally I seen a shore at some distance off an' took the oars an' pulled
for it, havin' somethin' to think of now.

"It was still a-rainin', but I didn't care for that now, but just pulled
for shore till it got dark again and stopped rainin', which was a comfort.
I pulled on till it was too dark to see anythin', and then I come t