226 THE ALBATROSS. 



of the master of a New Bedford whaler ! By 

 George, you deserve to be — ! " 



But I turned on my heel and trod the quarter- 

 deck in silence. Already a tug-boat was coming 

 out to meet us. She came alongside, haggled 

 as usual, closed the bargain, and took our line. 

 As soon as we were well under way again, I 

 approached Russell once more. I tried to acquire 

 an insinuating, Russell-like look in my own eyes. 



" Mr. Russell," I began, " if you will pardon 

 me, I have something unpleasant to say to you. 

 I think it only just to myself to insist that, if you 

 take my advice, you'll save wear and tear on your 

 nervous constitution by bidding a fond adieu to 

 this nonsense. Come ! You're an officer now. 

 Just shake yourself free of the fo'c's'le. And I 

 tell you, too, Mr. Russell, that it rests on better 

 authority than Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It rests 

 on the authority of a good seaman ! " (Laughing 

 in my sleeve.) 



Poor, humiliated Russell ! He wriggled in his 

 roundabout and grew yellower than before. He 

 looked like a bilious Cape Codder. 



" Why, Charles ! " called a gentle voice from 

 the cabin doorway, " you're not going to dis- 

 charge Mr. Russell because he believes in the 

 1 Ancient Mariner ! ' " 



