156 Crossing the Line 



1849, continued 



The Captain, who stood on the main hatch with his trumpet in hand, 

 raised it to his Hps and yelled back, "Hellol" 

 Old Neptune: What ship is that? 

 Captain: Ship C. W. Morgan. 

 Neptune: Have you any subjects for me? 

 Captain: Yes, a few. 

 Neptune: Haul aback your mainyard. I will come aboard. 



The order was given to haul up the mainsail and haul aback the mainyard. 

 The men shouted the order back at the top of their voices, and with a loud 

 tramping and throwing down of ropes made such a confusion on deck that 

 the poor devils below were about frightened out of their wits. 



Neptune got in on deck and mounted the tryworks, sat down on a scrap tub 

 turned bottom up, and sung out loud enough for them in the forecastle to 

 hear, "Bring on the youngsters! I am in a hurry. Have lots of ships to visit 

 tonight. One at a time." 



None seemed willing to come first, but when told if they kept Old Neptune 

 waiting it would be harder for them, one ventured up the steps and had 

 hardly struck the deck before he was bhndfolded. 



He was one of the Smart Aleck kind — should think, by his looks and 

 actions, he had been one of the kind sometimes seen in country villages, 

 swaggering into the country store, with pink necktie, scarlet vest, standup 

 coUar, cutaway coat and natty cane, with a damn-my-eyes cant to his hat, 

 thinking every girl who should happen to look at him was dead gone, at least 

 on his bold shape and corkscrew legs. 



He came out of the forecastle scuttle with a swing-and-strut air of "Here I 

 am! You cannot play your trick on me, if you do on the common green hands." 

 He objected to having his eyes covered but it was of no use, for three or four 

 of the old hands had hold of him by the arms and body. He had only a 

 glimpse of Old Neptune in the light of the lanthems, which made him a bit 

 quiet, so he was soon blindfolded and led up on the tryworks to the anxious 

 seat. 



Neptune spoke to him in a voice that sounded like coming through a cart- 

 load of rasps: 



"Young man! There is every reason to suppose by your actions and talk 

 since you came on board this ship, so I am informed, tliat you are a bad, bad 

 man. But let us hope that when you have been shaved and christened, it wiU 

 have the efi^ect on you to cause a change in your former ways, make you a 

 good sauor, and learn you how to be a man. I have a few questions to ask 

 before we go on with our mud and soothing initiations. You are expected to 

 answer promptly and open your mouth wide." 



