XX. BILL STURDY'S STORY.

After pausing a moment to collect his ideas, Bill Sturdy commenced his story.

"It was, mayhap, twelve years ago, or it might have been thirteen, since I sailed from New York in the ship Peregrine, bound for Havana. The Peregrine was quite a sizable ship, and I expected a pleasant voyage, as the captain was a frank, good-humored looking man. So he was when he was in his sober senses, but, unfortunately, this wasn't always the case. However, he used to keep pretty straight when he was at home, for if he had shown himself out it might have been hard for him to get employment. If Jack gets drunk it's no serious damage to the ship, but if the chief officer, to whom all look for commands, allows himself to drink too much, especially when a storm threatens, it's a pretty bad matter. You see, my lad, that when a captain is drunk, he does not generally know it himself, and is apt to think that he is perfectly able to manage the ship.

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"Well, Captain Harvey, for that was his name, was an excellent seaman when he was sober. He was a thorough sailor, and knew every rope in the ship. But, as it happened, it would have been better if we had had a captain who knew less and kept sober.

"Captain Harvey kept pretty straight at first, as I was saying, and we men began to like him. He was a pleasant-spoken man, though he meant to be obeyed when he gave an order. I liked him all the better, because the captain I had gone with last was a different kind of man. It wasn't always a word and a blow with Captain Lafarge, but oftentimes the blow came first. Well, times seemed changed, and that was what I was saying to a messmate of mine, who had sailed with me under the other captain, when Captain Harvey came on deck. That was the third day out; his face looked unusually red, and his eyes bloodshot. He staggered up to us, gave me a blow side of the head, as he said, or rather hiccoughed, for he couldn't speak very plain, 'Wh—what are you—hic—doing there, you rascal?'

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"Now, my lad, I'm not one to stand a blow very patiently; I'm rather apt to resent it, and so I should this time, but as I looked up I saw how matters stood, and that took away my anger. I liked Captain Harvey, and I knew that when he was right he would never think of giving me a blow without any cause, so I didn't do anything, but answered, as respectful as I could,—

"'I hope I am doing my duty, Captain Harvey.'

"'You lie,' he stuttered again.

"I did not feel called upon to give any answer to this charge. It was as well that I didn't, for he waited a minute and then left me.

"Well, this was the first that any of us knew of the captain's habits. We were all sorry, even those that liked to drink themselves, for this was the only fault we could detect in our chief officer, and it was a pretty serious one, as it turned out. I told you, didn't I, that we were bound for Havana?"

"Yes," said Charlie.

"Well, it sometimes happens that there are[175] violent storms in those latitudes, and the coast is dangerous to approach. Time passed, and although Captain Harvey would have his blow-out now and then, yet there had been no particular damage so far, perhaps because we had had pretty quiet weather. Now, however, we had got into the region of gales, and we all hoped the captain would keep sober.

"But that wasn't to be.

"One morning, I remember, we had a powerful gale. The ship was behaving pretty well under it. She was a staunch craft when we started, and bade fair to see a great many years' service. So, on the whole, we didn't feel uneasy till the captain came on deck.

"We saw at once that he was drunk, a good deal drunk, and not fit to take care of the ship. He staggered up to the mate, and asked him how fast the ship was going.

"The mate reported, ten knots an hour.

"'Ten knots an hour!' repeated the captain, contemptuously. 'Is that all? We must go faster.'

"'But, Captain Harvey,' said the mate,[176] 'there is a violent gale. Do you think it prudent to increase our speed?'

"'Prudent!' thundered the captain, 'do you think I would give the order if I didn't think so? Not a word more, sir, but call all hands, and make sail.'

"Nothing was to be done but to obey.

"Accordingly the reefs were let out of the topsails, the top gallant sails set, and even the fore top-mast studding sail. Now, my lad, although you are not much of a sailor, you can understand that it was perfect madness to carry so much sail in such a tempest. I knew at once what would happen, and prepared for the worst. There was a hen-coop lying on deck, and I resolved, that if the worst should come to the worst, I would spring for that.

"The worst did come to the worst. The ship pitched about like a mad thing, and creaked and groaned as if she were a human being in the greatest distress, and I can tell you the sailors looked black enough. We felt that our lives were being risked, and all for the intemperance of one man. That scene[177] cured me of drinking grog. I haven't drank a drop since."

"Did anything happen to the ship?"

"Yes, my lad, something did happen to the ship. A heavy sea struck her amidships, and pitched her over upon her side. After we recovered, we found that she was strained severely and leaking badly. Well, the end of it was, that we had to abandon her. The rest of the crew got on board the boats, but there wasn't fairly room, and they were so overloaded that I thought it would be safer trusting to the old hen-coop. They tried to get me on board the boats, but I had a kind of suspicion that the boats wouldn't live. So I stuffed all my pockets with biscuit, filled a tin measure with water, and trusted myself to the hen-coop."

"Did the boats live?" inquired Charlie, with interest.

"Not a single one. They were never heard from again. No doubt they all went down in the storm.

"Well, my lad, it wasn't the pleasantest thing pitching about on a hen-coop on the[178] wild sea, fifty miles, at least, from land. But my hope was, that I should be seen by some vessel bound for Havana. In that case I knew I would be safe. I had provision enough to last me three days, and I could make my water last as long by being sparing of it. I had to hold on to the hen-coop pretty tight, or I should have been washed off by some of the heavy seas. Of course, I got completely drenched by the salt water, and what was worse, the biscuit got drenched too, which didn't improve its taste, I can tell you.

"So I tossed about for twenty-four hours. By this time the gale had gone down, and the sea was more quiet. It was at this time that, casting my eyes about to see if I could anywhere catch sight of a sail, I descried one apparently making towards me."

"Wer'n't you delighted?"

"I was at first," said Bill, "but as she came nearer I tried not to attract her notice."

"Why?" asked Charlie, in great surprise.

"Because, my lad, I recognized in her the Red Rover, one of the most noted pirates that cruised in those seas."