OUTWITTING 1 SHIP OWNER 35 



ID his own domain. But words would fail to des- 

 cribe the unaffected look of astonishment dis- 

 played in Hezekiah's sapient countenance, when 

 he was informed that that was " not his end of 

 the ship." 



The tricks were not all played upon the new 

 comers, however, as the mannei in which my old 

 friend Bill, shipped, sufficiently evinced. I had 

 been in town nearly two weeks, when my worthy 

 ship-mate met me one morning, and informed me 

 that there was a chance that day, of which he in- 

 tended to avail himself. A little barque, fitted for 

 a short cruise in the South Atlantic, was about to 

 ship hands, and in her, Bill had determined to se- 

 cure a berth. Accordingly at ten o'clock A. M., 

 the hour previously specified, a large number of 

 ' hands " betook themselves to the office of the 

 owner, located on one of the wharves. Here, at 

 one end of a large room, on a raised platform, sat 

 a portly, cross-looking gentleman, whose self- 

 satisfied and important air sufficiently proclaimed 

 that he was full well aware of the power he was 

 that day to exercise, as well as of the importance 

 of bringing all his perceptive faculties to bear up- 

 on the matter in. hand, in order that he might 

 make a fortunate selection of men. There was 

 that in the gentleman's eye which told plain as 

 eye can tell, that he was not on this occasion to 

 be taken in. 



Up to this worthy's chair of state my poor 

 friend was ushered, by the shipping-master, whc 



