334 WHALING AND FISHINO. 



us, wiin Billingsgate or blows, would only get him 

 into trouble. So we escaped. 



Less fortunate were the rest. One Sabbath 

 afternoon, while standing at the wheel, I heard a 

 scuffle forward, and stepping to the side behold 

 the mate chasing a poor runaway soldier, one of 

 our crew, with a handspike. Just then an athletic; 

 fellow, a seaman, who had been rather remiss in 

 asserting his independence, came out of the fore- 

 castle. The mate immediately attacked him, 

 ordering him, with threats, to go below. This 

 roused George. He stepped to the windlass and 

 sat down, saying, " I'm tired of staying below, and 

 find it pleasanter on deck, just now." 



"You hound," screamed the mate, white with 

 drunken rage, "take that, and go below," hitting 

 him a blow on the arm with a handspike. 



George seized the handspike, and tossed it over 

 the lee bow, saying, as he grasped the mate by the 

 shoulders, and turned his face aft, " Now go into 

 your drunken cabin, blast you, or I'll put you 

 where the handspike is." 



A little struggle ensued, for the mate, though a 

 bully, was not devoid of courage". But George 

 held him as in a vice, and the mate writhed help- 

 lessly in his grasp till he promised to go peace 

 ably aft. 



From this time George was also a favorite with 

 the mate. In fact it seemed that to abuse him, or 

 resist him, was the surest way to gain his respect 

 tnd favo~. 



