thinking he would be able to note the proper qualities better than myself, as he was thrown in closer contact with the men.  The steward, Gunning, was a mulatto, as I have said, and he was of a sympathetic disposition.  Among the men who had first come aboard from the wreck was an old fellow of nondescript appearance who had very thoughtfully seized several bottles of Captain Sackett’s rum to have in the small boat in case of sickness.  This was made possible by the flooding of the ship, which made it necessary for the men to live aft.

The old fellow had apparently enjoyed good health, and had saved a couple of bottles which he offered to the steward as a bribe for a recommendation.  This kindness on the old man’s part had appealed directly to Gunning, and he had sent him aft to me as the very man I wanted.  He was very talkative and full of anecdotes, proving a most interesting specimen.

“I ain’t been out o’ sight o’ land before in my life,” said he, in a fit of confidence the first evening we divided watches, “but old Chris Kingle believed everything I told him, and here I am, third mate of this hooker, as sober as a judge, waitin’ to get killed the first time I go aloft.  Bleed me, but I’m in a fix; but it’s no worse than I expected, for everything goes wrong nowadays.”

“Well, what do you mean by coming aft here as mate when you know you can’t fill the bill?” I roared, made furious at his confession.

“Cap,” said he, as calmly as if I hadn’t spoken, “some men is born great; some men tries to get great; and some men never has no show at all, nohow.  Take your chances, says I. Mebbe I’m born great, an’ it only needs a little opportunity to bring it out—­like the measles.  Anyways, I never let an opportunity fer greatness come along without laying fer it.  I’m agin it now, an’ if y’ ever hear o’ my bein’ at sea agin, just let me know.”

“If you ever see the beach again, you’ll have reason to thank me, and I’ll just tell you right now, you can make up your mind for double irons until we get to Philadelphia,” I shouted.

“Bleed me, cap, that’s just about what I didn’t think you’d do,” the lubber responded.  “Give me a chance, ‘n’ if I’m no good as third mate, I’ll probably do as fourth.  Try me.  If I’m born great, I’ll show up.  If I’m not, I can at least die great, or greater than I am.  I’ve lived on land all my life, but I know something about sailing.  I’m fifty-two year old come next fall, an’ if I can’t sail a ship after all I’ve seen o’ them, I’ll be willing to live in irons or brass, or enny thing.”

“You go below and tell Mr. Gunning to come here to me,” I said, in no pleasant tone, and as the fellow shuffled off to do as I said, his bloated, red features told plainly what it had cost him to overcome Gunning and get the steward into the state he must have been to recommend such a fellow for an officer aboard ship.