after house. The men walked up and down between the fore
and main rigging.

"A faint light showed up ahead and to leeward. I opened my eyes wide to
make sure, and saw the faint shadowy outlines of hull and canvas--a
ship close hauled across our bows. Then I sang out:

"'Light ho! Ship on the port tack two points off the starboard bow,
sir!'

"'Light ho, is it?' bellowed the skipper. 'Put another man on lookout
and send that scow bunker aft here, Mr. Parker!'

"A man came and relieved me. Wondering what was up now, I went aft, and
the skipper and two mates met me at the break of the poop.

"'You get up there to the weather maintopsail yard arm, you ----
blind-eyed farmer,' snarled the skipper, 'and keep your lookout there!
D'ye hear? I saw that light ten minutes before you sang out.'

"'I reported it as soon as I saw it, sir,' I answered civilly.

"'None o' your lip! Get up there! And say--'

"I had answered and turned, in no way bothered by the change. I was to
put in the rest of the night on the yard; but I could sit down and rest
my bones.

"The skipper modified this. 'You keep your lookout there, and when the
bell strikes, you call out, "All's well, weather maintopsail yard arm!"
Then you flap your arms like wings, and crow like a rooster, and, you
say, "God bless Captain Black, and Mr. Macklin, and Mr. Parker!" D'you
hear?'

"'Yes, sir,' I said, and went aloft, boiling over with humiliation and
rage. Of what use was life, I thought, and success at sea if it was to
be bought at such a price in manhood and self-respect? The more I
thought of it the stronger grew my resolve to end it in some way.

"It was the man at the wheel who showed me the way. He was a
hot-tempered Irishman, a good seaman; but an indifferent helmsman. He
had put the ship off a couple of points at the skipper's order, so as
to pass under the stern of the ship ahead, and had some trouble in
steadying to the new course. He came in for a round of abuse from the
three, and at last was relieved, while the skipper gave him
instructions similar to mine. He was to take the lee maintopsail yard,
call out the bells when struck on deck, and conclude with the cock-crow
and blessing on his lords and masters. I heard his furious curses as he
reached the yard and slid out to leeward.

"We passed under the stern of the other ship, and I judged by her rig
that she was beating her way west, possibly to New York or Boston. As
she dropped out of sight a