OUTWARD BOUND. 5 



on to dat ar, ef yew want ter lib long 'n die happy. See, 

 sonny." I saiv, and answered promptly, " I beg your 

 pardon, sir, I didn't know." "Ob cawse yew didn't 

 know, dat's all right, little Britisher ; naow jest skip 

 aloft 'n loose dat fore-taupsle." " Aye, aye, sir," I 

 answered cheerily, springing at once into the fore-rigging 

 and up the ratlines like a monkey, but not too fast to 

 hear him chuckle, " Dat's a smart kiddy, I bet." I 

 had the big sail loose in double quick time, and sung 

 out ** All gone, the fore-taupsle," before any of the 

 other sails were adrift. "Loose the to-gantsle and 

 staysles " came up from below in a voice like thunder, 

 and I bounded up higher to my task. On deck I could 

 see a crowd at the windlass heaving up anchor. I said 

 to myself, "They don't waste any time getting this 

 packet away." Evidently they were not anxious to test 

 any of the crew's swimming powers. They were wise, 

 for had she remained at anchor that night I verily 

 believe some of the poor wretches would have tried to 

 escape. 



The anchor came aweigh, the sails were sheeted 

 home, and I returned on deck to find the ship gather- 

 ing way for the heads, fairly started on her long 

 voyage. 



What a bear-garden the deck was, to be sure ! The 

 black portion of the crew — Portuguese natives from the 

 Western and Canary Islands — were doing their work 

 all right in a clumsy fashion ; but the farmers, and 

 bakers, and draymen were being driven about merci- 

 lessly amid a perfect hurricane of profanity and blows. 

 And right here I must say that, accustomed as I had 

 always been to bad language all my life, what I now 

 heard was a revelation to me. I would not, if I could, 



