DREAMS OF LIBERTY 85 



standing reward of $25 a man is offered by whal- 

 ing ships for the capture and return of deserters, 

 consequently all the natives of the islands, es- 

 pecially the police, are constantly on the lookout 

 for runaways from whaling crews. 



When we drew near the islands the runaway 

 fever became epidemic in the forecastle. Each 

 sailor had his own little scheme for getting away. 

 Big Taylor talked of knocking the officers of 

 the night watch over the head with a belaying- 

 pin and stealing ashore in a boat. Ole Oleson cut 

 up his suit of oilskins and sewed them into two 

 air-tight bags with one of which under each arm, 

 he proposed to float ashore. Bill White, an 

 Englishman, got possession of a lot of canvas 

 from the cabin and was clandestinely busy for 

 days making it into a boat in which he fondly 

 hoped to paddle ashore some fine night in the 

 dark of the moon. " Slim," our Irish grenadier, 

 stuffed half his belongings into his long sea-boots 

 which he planned to press into service both as 

 carry-alls and life-preservers. Peter Swenson, 

 the forecastle's baby boy, plugged up some big 



