A CRITICAL SITUATION. 



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seemed constructed expressly for holding men in con- 

 vulsions. At first he was so shocked that he did not 

 know what to do. I told him that the captain was to be 

 held, whereupon, opening his powerful arms, he closed 

 them around the captain's with the force of a hydraulic 

 press, turning the legs over to me. These legs were a 

 pair of the sturdiest that ever supported a human body ; 

 and I verily believe that if the feet had once touched 

 my ribs, they would have sent me through the wall of 

 the hut. Watching my opportunity, I wound the ham- 

 mock around his legs, and my arms around the ham- 

 mock. In the mean time he broke loose from Mr. War- 

 burton's hug, who, taking the hint from me, doubled his 

 part in with the folds of the hammock, and gave his 

 clinch from the outside. The captain struggled, and, 

 worming like a gigantic snake, slipped his head out of 

 the top of the hammock, and twisted the cords around his 

 neck, so that we were afraid of his strangling himself. 

 We were in utter despair, when two of his sailors rush- 

 ed in, who, being at home with ropes, extricated his 

 head, shoved him back into the hammock, wrapped it 

 around him as before, and I withdrew completely ex- 

 hausted. 



The two recruits were Tom, a regular tar of about 

 forty, and the cook, a black man, and particular friend 

 of Tom, who called him Darkey. Tom undertook the 

 whole direction of securing the captain ; and although Dr. 

 Drivin and several Indians came in, Tom's voice was 

 the only one heard, and addressed only to " Darkey." 

 " Stand by his legs. Darkey !" " Hold fast. Darkey !" 

 " Steady, Darkey !" but all together could not hold 

 him. Turning on his face and doubling himself inside, 

 he braced his back, and drove both legs through the 

 hammock, striking his feet violently against the ground ; 



