352 NIMROD OF THE SEA; OB, 



ers, and carpenter might be heard as witnesses ; but this sim- 

 ply aroused the devil in this petty representative of a great 

 nation, and he abused the poor fellows in words of stinging 



and blasphemous insult. " Had I been Captain B ," he 



concluded, " I would .have flogged every man of you before 

 the mast." 



This was too much for one of the poor fellows, who had 

 stood silent up to this time. Stepping forward, he shook 

 his great fist in the face of the consul, and said : " It an't 

 in you; for we would have passed you to the sharks before 

 you had touched even that poor sick boy !" pointing to little 

 Sam, who, pale and emaciated from long confinement, and his 

 unhealed wound, sat looking with wondering, tearful eyes on 

 the scene. 



Thus ended the trial; the men were hurried away to the 

 fort, sentenced to six months' imprisonment and hard labor 

 under Kanaka task-masters. The man who returned had 

 carried his official Protection papers " as an American citi- 

 zen," and the brutal dispenser of injustice did not dare to 

 trample these underfoot. 



tTan. 9. The captain, taking a crew of Kanakas, and steer- 

 ing himself, went on shore and staid until afternoon. When 

 he returned, he ordered the anchor up. The crew were dog- 

 ged and sullen, only awaiting provocation to be worse. Slow- 

 ly the windlass went round ; the usual heaving-songs and 

 chorus were hushed ; the slow clank of the chain was the 

 only sound ; and daylight passed into night before the first 

 anchor was to the bows. Before supper the captain mounted 

 the windlass and spoke to us. He said: "I have noticed, 

 and been grieved at your conduct. My mind was to end 

 this unfortunate trouble differently, but I found it necessary 

 to place the ship in the consul's hands, and have acted under 

 his advice. I am going to sea for a three -months' cruise, 

 and then will return to recruit for Japan. Then you shall 



