stant for about eighteen
months, and it may easily be imagined how this growing lad listened with
all his ears to the tales of the old sailors recalling brave deeds and
strange experiences in storm and shine on that element which for so many
years was to be his home, and at length, impelled by some instinctive
feeling that on it lay the path ready at his feet to lead him on to
future distinction, he vowed to himself that he would not bind down his
life to the petty round of a country storekeeper.

At length the opportunity came, which is related, in a breezy and
life-like manner, by Besant as follows. After painting Saunderson's
character in colours of a rather disagreeable hue, as one too fond of his
grog for himself and his stick for his apprentices, he says that Cook
stole a shilling out of the till, packed up his luggage in a single
pocket-handkerchief, ran away across the moors to Whitby, found a ship on
the point of sailing, jumped on board, offered his services as cabin boy,
was at once accepted, showed himself so smart and attentive that he
completely won the heart of the sour-visaged mate, and through his good
graces was eventually bound apprentice to the owners of the ship, and
thus laid the foundation of his fortunes. This account does not explain
how it was that the dishonest runaway apprentice it depicts continued to
retain the friendship and esteem of his master and Mrs. Dodds.

APPRENTICED TO THE SEA.

There undoubtedly was a difficulty about a shilling, and Dr. Young's
version, gathered from those who knew Cook personally and lived in
Staithes and Whitby at the time, is more probable. He says that Cook had
noticed a South Sea shilling, and being struck by the unusual design (it
was only coined in 1723), changed it for one of his own. Saunderson had
also noticed it, and when he missed it, enquired for it perhaps in
somewhat unmeasured terms, but, on the matter being explained, was fully
satisfied. Afterwards, seeing that the boy was bent upon a sea life, he
obtained the father's permission, and took young James to Whitby himself,
where he introduced him to Mr. John Walker, a member of a shipping firm
of repute, to whom he was bound apprentice (not to the firm), and with
whom he never lost touch till the end of his life. The period of
apprenticeship was, on the authority of Messrs. John and Henry Walker,
three years, and not either seven or nine as is usually stated, and the
difficulty about being appren