186 A RUNAWAY. 



has been influenced by an envious disposition quite in- 

 dependent of the value attached to his gains. He is 

 a type of a branch of the human family who cannot 

 view with calmness the prosperity of others. Whether 

 this feeling in Hans stopped with the emotion, or 

 whether it has expended itself in crime, remains to 

 be seen. 



I was quietly reading on my lounge this morning 

 at two o'clock, when the profound stillness was broken 

 by footsteps in the companion-way. A moment after- 

 ward the steward entered without the ceremony of 

 knocking, and stood before me with an atmosphere of 

 alarm about him which seemed to forebode evil 

 While he was hesitating for speech, I inquired of him 

 what on earth had brought him upon me at this hour. 

 Was the ship on fire ? Without heeding my question, 

 he exclaimed, — 



" Peter 's gone, sir ! " 



« Gone ! Where to ? " 



" Gone ! Kim away, sir ! " 



" Is that all ? " and I returned to my book, and 

 bade him go back to his bed. 



" It 's so, sir ! He has run away, sir ! " 



And sure enough it was so. The earnestness of the 

 steward's manner convinced me at length that some- 

 thing w r as wrong, and I immediately caused the ship 

 to be searched. But Peter was nowhere to be found. 

 His hammock had not been disturbed since it had 

 been taken down yesterday morning, and he was evi- 

 dently not in the vessel. 



All hands were called, and, while I interrogated the 

 sailors, Jensen obtained what information he could 

 from the Esquimaux. Peter had been on board all 

 the evening, had messed with the men, had smoked 



