ard, just as we rounded the point coming out
o' Kingston harbour," said a fine, active-looking sailor, who bore
every trait of a royal tar, and boasted of serving five years in the
East-India service, to his shipmate, while he continued to serve the
stay. His words were spoken in a whisper, and not intended for the
captain's ears. The captain overheard him, however; and, as a vessel is
a world to those on board, the general sentiment carries its weight
in controlling its affairs. Thus the strong feeling which prevailed on
board could not fail to have its effect upon the captain's mind.

"Well, we'll try her at any rate," said the captain, walking aft and
ordering the cabin-boy to bring up his glass; with which he took a sharp
look to the southward.

"I'd shape her course for a southern Yankee port. I haven't been much in
them, but I think we'll stand a better chance there than in these ports
where they make a speculation of wrecking, and would take a fellow's
pea-jacket for salvage." "We're always better under the protection of a
consul than in a British port," said the mate, coming aft to inform the
skipper that they had carried away the chains of the bobstay, and that
the bowsprit strained her in the knight-heads.

CHAPTER II. THE STEWARD'S BRAVERY.

DURING the worst of the gale, a mulatto man, with prominent features,
indicating more of the mestino than negro character, was moving in busy
occupation about the deck, and lending a willing hand with the rest
of the crew to execute the captain's orders. He was rather tall,
well formed, of a light olive complexion, with dark, piercing eyes, a
straight, pointed nose, and well-formed mouth. His hair, also, had none
of that crimp so indicative of negro extraction, but lay in dark curls
all over his head. As he answered to the captain's orders, he spoke in
broken accents, indicating but little knowledge of the English language.
From the manner in which the crew treated him, it was evident that he
was an established favourite with them as well as the officers, for
each appeared to treat him more as an equal than a menial. He laboured
cheerfully at sailor's duty until the first sea broke over her,
when, seeing that the caboose was in danger of being carried from the
lashings, and swept to leeward in the mass of wreck, he ran for that
all-important apartment, and began securing it with extra lashings. He
worked away with an earnestness that deserved all praise; not