said that `money was the root of all evil,' you
thick-head," returned Duffy; "he said it was the _love_ of money. Put
that in your pipe and smoke it--or rather, in your glass an' drink it,
for that's the way to get it clearer in your fuddled brain."

"Hold on, boys; you're forgettin' my yarn," interposed Lockley at this
point, for he saw that Stubley was beginning to lose temper. "Well, you
must know it was about six years ago--I was little more than a big lad
at the time, on board the _Saucy Jane_, Black Thomson bein' the skipper.
You've heard o' Black Thomson, that used to be so cruel to the boys
when he was in liquor, which was pretty nigh always, for it would be
hard to say when he wasn't in liquor? He tried it on wi' me when I
first went aboard, but I was too--well, well, poor fellow, I'll say
nothin' against him, for he's gone now."

"Fred Martin was there at the time, an' it was wonderful what a hold
Fred had over that old sinner. None of us could understand it, for Fred
never tried to curry favour with him, an' once or twice I heard him when
he thought nobody was near, givin' advice to Black Thomson about drink,
in his quiet earnest way, that made me expect to see the skipper knock
him down. But he didn't. He took it well--only he didn't take his
advice, but kep' on drinkin' harder than ever. Whenever a _coper_ came
in sight at that time Thomson was sure to have the boat over the side
an' pay him a visit.

"Well, about this time o' the year there came one night a most
tremendous gale, wi' thick snow, from the nor'ard. It was all we could
do to make out anything twenty fathom ahead of us. The skipper he was
lyin' drunk down below. We was close reefed and laying to with the
foresail a-weather, lookin' out anxiously, for, the fleet bein' all
round and the snow thick, our chances o' runnin' foul o' suthin' was
considerable. When we took in the last reef we could hardly stand to do
it, the wind was so strong--an' wasn't it freezin', too! Sharp enough
a'most to freeze the nose off your face.

"About midnight the wind began to shift about and came in squalls so
hard that we could scarcely stand, so we took in the jib and mizzen, and
lay to under the foresail. Of course the hatchways was battened down
and tarpaulined, for the seas that came aboard was fearful. When I was
standin' there, expectin' every moment that we should founder, a sea
came and swept Fred Martin overboard. Of course we could do not