ed to take with his grog,
and we suspected that he took it as an excuse for an extra glass of
spirits. One cause why he escaped catching the plague was, that he
never was afraid of it,--either he trusted to his specific, or felt sure
that he should not catch it; also, he never went on shore among the
dirty parts of the town the men had frequented, and also lived separate
from them on board.

At length my companion Charley got ill. We lads had been removed to
some temporary berths, put up in the hold, where we could have more air
than forward. One day after I had gone on shore with the captain to
bring off the doctor, not finding Charley on deck, I went down to look
for him. I found him in the berth tumbling about in bed and his eyes
staring wildly.

"Oh, Will! I am going to die, and there's one thing weighs so heavy on
my mind that I cannot die easy till I tell it to you!" he exclaimed, in
a tone of anguish. "Just for my own pleasure I persuaded you to come to
sea, and ever since you have had nothing but danger and trouble. You'll
forgive me, won't you? That's what I want to know."

I told him, of course, that I forgave him heartily; indeed, that I had
never accused him of being the cause of the sufferings which I had
endured, in common with him and others. Then I told him that he must
not fancy that he was going to die just because he felt a little ill,
and that as the doctor was on board I would go and fetch him at once.

The doctor came immediately, and, after examining him, applied some very
strong remedies. I followed him on deck to inquire whether Charley
really had the plague. "No doubt about it," was his reply; "but if he
drops into a sound sleep, I think he may throw it off without further
evil consequences."

Anxiously I watched at the side of poor Charley's bed. He talked a
little--then was silent--and I found that he slept. I did not dare to
leave his side lest any one should come into the berth and awake him.
Hour after hour I waited, till at last I sank back on the chest on which
I was sitting and fell fast asleep. When I awoke the sun was shining
down through the main hatchway into the berth. I heard Charley's voice.
It was low but quiet.

"I am quite well now, Will," he said. "If the doctor, when he comes,
will let me get up, I think I could go about my duty without
difficulty."

I was very glad to hear him speak in that way, but I told him that his
strength had not returned, and