“Ah, if you were only going on a voyage with me,” said the sailor, “that would make a man of you.  I wouldn’t go and be shut up with that old prig, poring over books forever.”

Marco was displeased to hear the sailor call his cousin an old prig, and he felt some compunctions of conscience about forming and continuing an intimacy with such a person.  Still he was so much interested in hearing him talk, that he continued to walk with him up the hill.  Finally, the sailor fairly proposed to him to run away and go to sea with him.

“O no,” said Marco, “I wouldn’t do such a thing for the world.  Besides,” said he, “they would be after us, and carry me back.”

“No,” said the sailor; “we would cut across the country, traveling in the night and laying to by day, till we got to another stage route, and then make a straight wake, till we got to New Bedford, and there we could get a good voyage.  Come,” said he, “let’s go to-night.  I’ll turn right about.  I don’t care a great deal about seeing my mother.”

Though Marco was a very bold and adventurous sort of a boy, still he was not quite prepared for such a proposal as this.  In the course of the conversation the sailor used improper and violent language too, which Marco did not like to hear; and, in fact, Marco began to be a little afraid of his new acquaintance.  He determined, as soon as he got back to the coach to keep near Forester all the time, so as not to be left alone again with the sailor.  He tried to hasten on, so as to overtake the coach, but the sailor told him not to walk so fast; and, being unwilling to offend him, he was obliged to go slowly, and keep with him; and thus protracted the conversation.

[Illustration:  The hill.]

About half-way up the hill there was a small tavern, and the sailor wanted Marco to go in with him and get a drink.  Marco thought that he meant a drink of water, but it was really a drink of spirits which was intended.  Marco, however, refused to go, saying that he was not thirsty; and so they went on up the hill.  At the top of the hill, the stage-coach stopped for the pedestrians to come up.  There was also another passenger there to get in,—­a woman, who came out from a farm-house near by.  The driver asked the sailor if he was not willing to ride outside, in order to make room for the new passenger.  But he would not.  He was afraid.  He said he would not ride five miles outside for a month’s wages.  Marco laughed at the sailor’s fears, and he immediately asked Forester to let him ride outside.  Forester hesitated, but on looking up, and seeing that there was a secure seat, with a good place to hold on, he consented.  So Marco clambered up and took his seat with the driver, while the other passengers re-established themselves in the stage.

Chapter II.

Accidents.