The men who had set upon him hesitated an instant before they realized he was getting away; then they started after him, shouting and swearing at a great rate.  He was up to me in an instant, and as he dashed by I narrowly missed a clip from his hand, which he swung viciously at me as he passed.  I saw in a moment he couldn’t escape at the rate he was moving, in spite of his tremendous exertions, so I stepped aside to watch him as the crowd rushed past in pursuit.

The little mate’s legs were working like the flying pistons of a locomotive, and his bush hair and beard were streaming aft in the breeze as he neared the corner.  Suddenly he stopped, turned about, and dashed right into the foremost of the crowd, letting out a screech and swinging his long arms.

“Git out th’ way!  Th’ devil’s broke loose an’s comin’ for ye,” he howled as he sent the foremost man to the pavement.  “Don’t stop me.  I ain’t got no time to stop.  Don’t stop a little bumpkin buster what’s got business in both hands.  Stand away, or I’ll run ye down and sink ye,” and he tore through the men, who grabbed him and grappled to get him down.  In a second he was going up the street again in exactly the opposite direction, having hurled over or dashed aside the fellows who had seized him.

“Soo—­oo—­a-y!” he bellowed as he passed.  Then he rushed to a doorway where stood a boy’s bicycle.  He jumped upon the saddle with another yell as he pushed the machine before him, and the next instant was whirling down the thoroughfare with the rapidity of an express train, bawling for people to “Stand clear!” In another moment he was out of sight, in a cloud of dust, and his yells fell to a drone in the distance.

I was in no hurry to get down to the dock, so I strolled around the streets for some time.  Then, thinking that the little mate had about run himself out, I made my way to the wharf where the Pirate lay.

As I drew near the ship, I was aware of a bushy head above her port quarter-rail, and in a moment the little mate, Trunnell, looked over and hailed me.  He was smoking so composedly and appeared so cool and satisfied that I could hardly believe it was the same man I had seen running amuck but an hour before.

“Have a good ride?” I asked.

“So, so; ’twas a bit of a thing to do, though I ain’t never rid one of them things afore.  They wanted me to cough up stuff for the whole crowd.  But nary a cough.  One or two drinks is about all I can stand; so when I feels good ye don’t want to persuade me over much.  Come aboard.”

He led me below, where we were joined by the “doctor,” a good-looking negro, who, having washed up his few dishes and put out the fire in his galley, came aft and assumed an importance in keeping with a cook of an American clipper ship.

We sat in the forward cabin and chatted for a few minutes, becoming better acquainted, and I must say they both acquitted themselves very creditably for members of the after guard of that notorious vessel.  But I had learned long ago that there were good men on all ships, and I was not more than ordinarily surprised at my reception.