pupil assured him that he
had not forgotten anything he had been taught, and
especially the duty he owed to his old commander. The
veteran was touched with the display of loyalty and the mark
of respect shown him. There seemed to be an accumulation of
recollections passing through his mind as he hesitatingly
said, "I used to knock you about a good deal, but it was all
for your good, and to teach you proper discipline." He was
assured that everything of an unpleasant character had been
shut out of the mind, so they parted with feelings of mutual
cordiality. Some years had elapsed, when the young commander
landed in a port in Denmark. A gentleman whom he knew told
him a sad story of an English captain who had just died in
the hospital under distressing circumstances. His illness
had been brought on by his own excesses, complications set
in, and after a few days' illness, he passed, through the
valley of the shadow of death into Eternity. His bodily
sufferings had been great, and his lonely desolation caused
him unspeakable anguish. Death relieved him of both, and he
was put to rest in a plain deal coffin. The vessels in port
hoisted their flags half-mast, and a few seamen followed his
remains to the tomb. The following day his old apprentice,
whom he had driven from his presence thirteen years before,
had two weeping willows planted at each end of the grave to
mark the spot where his erring master rests; and he has
visited it many times since.

CHAPTER IV

THE SEAMAN'S SUPERSTITIONS

The seamen of the fifties and sixties were grievously
superstitious. They viewed sailing on a Friday with
undisguised displeasure; and attributed many of their
disasters when on a voyage to this unholy act. I have known
men leave their vessel rather than sail on a Friday. The
owner of a vessel who did not regard this as a part of the
orthodox faith was voted outside the pale of compassion.
Then it was a great breach of nautical morals to whistle
when the wind was howling, and singing in such circumstances
was promptly prohibited. If perchance bad weather was
encountered immediately after leaving port, and it was
continuous, the forecastle became the centre of righteous
discussion and intrigue, in order that the reason for this
might be arrived at, and due punishment inflicted on the
culprit who was found to be the cause of all their sorrows.
They would look upon gales and mishaps, no matter how
unimportant, as tokens of Div