o’clock, and all is well,” he looks wistfully into his master’s face, as if he would ask, is all well?  What is to be done? in less than half an hour the ship will be towed out into the stream; there is no time to be lost, but the dog will not think of leaving his master, for his experience of years tells him it is a new thing for the boy to be wandering from home at this unseasonable hour.  In vain did Harry attempt to drive the faithful creature from him, for never having been an unwelcome companion before, the dog did not understand his master’s threatening gestures; yet he could understand that something was amiss, and for that reason kept close upon his master’s heels, to shield him from all danger.

Arriving at the wharf, the boy once more attempted to drive the dog from him, when looking around, he espied a bit of rope, with which he made him fast to a post, and then clambered up the ship’s side.  Poor Nep, keeping his eye upon his master, laid him quietly down, until the lines were cast off, and the ship began to recede from the shore.  O, Harry, could you leave the companion of your infancy thus, made fast to a yard rope, to shiver in the night air?  It was his only alternative, for in taking Neptune with him he well knew would be robbing the household of one more endearment.  No sooner had the ship started from her moorings, and Nep saw that his master was being borne away, than he gave a piteous howl, and with one bound parted the line which held him, and plunging into the tide, made vigorous attempts to reach the ship.

“Breakers on the larboard bow!” sung out the captain, who stood laughing to see the labors of the poor animal, who was becoming exhausted; “let’s see who’ll have the first harpoon!” and he hurled a billet at the dog’s head as he was going down for the second time.  Harry, seeing the action, cried out, “Save him! who will save my poor Nep?” and fell fainting upon the deck.  Fortunately the hard-hearted man had missed his mark for once, and by the light of the moon, the poor fellow was seen, just under the bows, struggling feebly, as if about to give up, when an old tar, who had heard Harry’s cry for help, sprang with the rapidity of thought, and seizing a rope, made it into a slip-noose, throwing it over the dog’s head, nearly strangling him as he drew him out of the water.  Together they lay motionless upon the deck, Harry and Nep, when the captain coming along would have stumbled over them, had he not caught at a halliard near by.

“What in the name of things unheard of, is all this?” exclaimed he, with an oath; “this indeed is a curious beginning for the little land-lubber!  I’ve the greatest mind to set him ashore, to come to his senses at his leisure, and if I’m not greatly mistaken, he’s but a young runaway at best; but we might as well keep him now, he’ll do for testing the strength of our cats, and as for that other critter, Mr. Sampson, you may hand him over to the steward, and tell him I shall want a nice over-all when we get out where the ice makes an inch a minute.”