166 WHALEMAN ON THE STAGE. 



could hear me. Then I says, ' Pierce, my hearty, 

 you'll never'll see your Nancy ! ' 



" You know the rest. The cap'n here picked 

 me up when I was as hungry as a polar bear, and 

 deathly faint and scared and discouraged. 



" But what beats me, Cap'n Robbins, is that 

 Jones held his tongue all that while and never 

 told you the news ; for if ever a seaman was 

 rigged with self-acting jawing tackle, it's that 

 same lubberly coward of a stormy Jones ! " 



This ended the mighty yarn. The Sag Harbor 

 man beamed red as a sunset. 



" Aha, sir," said he, " you thought I could swear 

 through a nine-inch plank, didn't you ? But it's 

 true, every word, just as I tell you and just as my 

 man Pierce has said. And, Pierce, if the Cap'n 

 has no objections, you may go for'ard and see if 

 you can't find some of your old shipmates in the 

 fo'cas'le." 



" Pierce," I added, " when you feel like it, you 

 may come back here and read your epitaph in the 

 log-book. You'll never recognize it as your own, 

 I'll warrant." 



Then the Sag Harbor man lit his pipe, leaned 

 back in his chair, crossed his stout legs, and 

 changed the subject. " By the way, Cap'n," said 



